King Charles is famous for his commitment to the environment and his decades of public service, but behind the palace gates a much more traditional way of life is said to be revealed.
According to royal author Tina Brown in her book The palace papersThe king has long drawn comparisons to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Brown suggests that Charles not only admired his style, he adopted it.
From maintaining multiple residences to maintaining a distinctly ancient approach to household management, initiates have described a lifestyle that draws precisely on tradition.
The king is believed to favor bespoke tailoring on a large scale, with dozens of handmade suits, carefully crafted shirts and a significant collection of shoes from historic British manufacturers.
Shoes, in particular, would be maintained with almost military discipline, reflecting royalty’s long-standing emphasis on presentation.
Inside the royal residences, the same level of care would apply.
Previous accounts describe very specific expectations of staff, from the exact location of everyday items to how prepared rooms are at any given time.
Some of these traditions echo habits once associated with the Queen Mother herself, known for her exacting standards, from how fireplaces were prepared to how bedrooms were arranged before bedtime.
In previous years, when Queen Camilla still smoked, staff were expected to prepare rooms in advance with carefully arranged accessories, ensuring everything was optimally positioned.
