Prince Charles’ Travel Habits Are Pretty Ridiculous

When you’re the future king, you travel how you want—and, it seems, for Prince Charles, that means bringing your own bed, your own toilet seat, and your own toilet paper wherever you go.

That’s according to Tina Brown’s new book The Palace Papers, out now, which says that Charles’ former aide Michael Fawcett (famous up until now as the man who squeezed toothpaste on Charles’ toothbrush for him) would oversee the “paraphernalia that preceded his boss like the baggage train of a Tudor traveling court,” Brown writes, per Page Six. This included “the prince’s orthopedic bed, lavatory seat, and Kleenex Velvet lavatory paper, plus two landscapes of the Scottish landscapes.” (Thankfully we can now rest knowing the exact toilet paper brand the Prince of Wales prefers. Whew.)

This wasn’t just for overseas trips where he’ll be for a duration of time—this was even for visits to friends’ country homes, Brown writes.

“When he traveled to stay at friends’ country houses, a truck arrived the day before, bringing his bed, furniture, and even pictures, which his pampering aide Michael Fawcett ensured would be hung in his allotted bedroom in place of the possessions of the host,” Brown writes.

And unlike the Queen—who always ate whatever was served—Charles made sure to stipulate his menu preferences beforehand, including bringing his own glass out of which to drink a pre-mixed martini (prepared by his protection officer in tow) ready at any moment to be handed to him by a butler.

Hey, he likes what he likes?

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.