How King Charles Broke Years of Royal Tradition With This "Thoroughly Modern" Ritual

He's a man of his time.

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A headshot of King Charles smiling and looking to the left wearing a herringbone print suit and a green and purple tie
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Perhaps no one is better suited to write a royal cookbook than Queen Camilla's food critic son, Tom Parker Bowles—and in Cooking The Crown, the acclaimed writer revealed some of the fascinating (and peculiar) eating habits of monarchs through the years.

One such story relates to breakfast, with Parker Bowles diving into the elaborate history of "gut-busting" royal mornings that, at one point, stretched out to five courses long. The author described "the aristocratic breakfasts of Victorian and Edwardian times" as affairs that "were not so much dainty repasts as full-on gastronomic assualts."

Dishes including everything from steak to "sausages, chicken and woodcock" were part of the royal meal, along with eggs "and little fishy messes in shells." Sounds...delightful.

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While Queen Victoria and the like enjoyed lavish feasts, King Charles and Queen Camilla have broken tradition by eating extremely simple breakfasts. And even though Queen Elizabeth kept it fairly basic with cereal, eggs, toast and orange juice, The King takes it a step further.

Prince Charles wearing a tan shit and Camilla in a black polka dot dress sitting at a table having tea in a 2005 photo

The King, pictured having tea with the then-Duchess of Cornwall in 2005, enjoys a light breakfast.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

What's on the royal breakfast table? For Charles, "dried fruit and honey," while Camilla favors "porridge in winter" and "yogurt in summer." Parker Bowles referred to his family's habits as "a thoroughly modern, and healthy, start to the day" but admitted "I'm not sure Victoria would have approved."

The food writer includes his mother's famous porridge recipe in Cooking The Crown, revealing that she eats it "plain, aside from a little of her own honey." It turns out she gives the honey from her hives at her home, Raymill, to London department store Fortnum Mason, "where it is sold in special jars, with all proceeds going to one of her charities."

Elsewhere in the book, Parker Bowles describes his stepfather's love of British food and commitment to sustainability, noting he "could write a whole different book" about him. It's a topic Queen Camilla's son has discussed before, even claiming The King "would be a fantastic food writer" if he wasn't on the throne.

"In fact, there is no one better informed on everything from rare breeds and heritage fruit and vegetables to cheesemaking, butchery and brewing," the food critic proclaimed. "He is a genuine British food hero."

Kristin Contino
Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

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.