King Charles "Will Never Avoid" This Food

King Charles holding a spoonful of food in front of a crown cake — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth loved her Special-K cereal and Princess Diana was a big fan of overnight oats, but for organic produce advocate King Charles, one of his favorite foods is a bit more surprising.

Speaking to coffee retailer Coffee Beans, The King's former royal butler Grant Harrold said that when it comes to dining, the monarch likes "a mixture of both" vegetarian and meat-based options.

"He likes his plant-based food," Harrold says. "If you look at Highgrove, all the vegetables grown there end up being made into meals. Potatoes, leaks, and asparagus—he loves to eat them all." However, meat features just as heavily in The King's meals. "He loves mutton; it is a staple in his diet," the former butler said.

Although Harrold notes that The King "always avoids shellfish" to prevent "getting food poisoning," the monarch does make exceptions. While attending the Whitstable Oyster Festival in 2013, King Charles (then Prince Charles) dug into oysters with gusto as Queen Camilla watched on.

King Charles eating cheese in a tan coat — King Charles is pictured trying out some cheese on February 9.

However, Harrold points out that the "one thing" King Charles "will never avoid is biscuits." In this case, the former butler is referring to a British version of a biscuit, more like a crunchy, dry cookie or cracker.

"Whenever coffee or tea was offered, biscuits were always there if guests wanted one," Harrold says. Unfortunately, The King’s favorite brand, Bath Oliver, has been discontinued, but the former butler says he "always used to give [The King] a packet for his birthday."

The King didn't eat lunch for many years, but he's started doing so after his cancer diagnosis, per doctor's orders—and Queen Camilla's. During Harrold's tenure, Charles would eat "breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea," with the former butler noting, "If he ever did have lunch, it would be a salad. He has always been very careful with what his intake is."

King Charles eating an oyster while Queen Camilla laughs next to him and holds a napkin — The King tries an oyster at the Whitstable Oyster Festival in 2013.

Although King Charles enjoys drinking coffee as well as a cup of tea, Harrold says that during his employment at Highgrove, they stuck to old-fashioned coffee makers and even instant coffee.

"They certainly didn’t have a fancy coffee machine in the palace when I was there," he says. "If you wanted a cup of coffee, it would be good and dependable instant coffee or brewed in a cafetiere before being put into a coffee pot."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.