6 surprising food facts about King Charles III, according to a former royal chef

Charles turned 74 years old on Monday, marking the first time he's celebrated his birthday on the British throne. The official Buckingham Palace Instagram account marked the occasion by sharing a new photo of Charles and a video of the Household Cavalry playing "Happy Birthday" for him. 

While his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, adored chocolate cakes, Charles prefers healthier, organic options, according to former royal chef Darren McGrady. McGrady shared anecdotes about Charles' eating habits in his 2007 cookbook, "Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen."

McGrady worked as a chef for the Queen at Buckingham Palace for 11 years, before working for Princess Diana at Kensington Palace for four years. He joined the Queen's staff in 1982, then transferred to Diana's staff in 1993. McGrady remained at Kensington Palace until Diana died in August 1997.

According to McGrady's book, Charles greatly enjoyed the wild mushrooms that grow at Scotland's Balmoral Castle.

"I quickly understood what Prince Charles had known for a long time: Balmoral is an absolute treasure trove of wild mushrooms," McGrady wrote, adding that a rivalry sparked between the Queen's chefs and Charles' chefs because of them. (At the time McGrady's book was published, Charles was still a prince.)

"Unfortunately, for Prince Charles, the Queen's head chef, Peter Page, also knew that cèpes grew abundantly on the property, and he was adamant that the prince's chefs were not going to take them," McGrady continued. "He organized a mushroom raid across the estate before Prince Charles' entourage arrived at Balmoral."

McGrady added: "The prince's chefs were more than a little irritated. 'Oh well, chalk one up for the Queen's men,' I thought."

McGrady noted in his cookbook that Charles loved fishing so much that he taught Prince William and Prince Harry how to fish when they were children.

"Prince Charles is an avid fisherman and would spend hours in the Dee, often alongside the Queen Mother with water to the tops of their waders," McGrady wrote, referring to the River Dee. "He would heft enormous salmon into the royal kitchen to be weighed, tagged, and catalogued."

McGrady added that kitchen staff members weren't allowed to touch the salmon until instructions were given.

"The salmon was so fresh its eyes seemed to follow you around the room," he wrote. "None of the chefs were allowed to touch it until instructions were sent from upstairs. Usually it would be grilled, poached, or broiled with a garnish and served on silver in the dining room."

McGrady recalled that Charles' love for Balmoral Castle's wild mushrooms was so potent that he enlisted help from the famous chef Antonio Carluccio. 

"Prince Charles is a very health-conscious eater and enjoys whole grains, organic vegetables, and simply prepared fish and meats," McGrady wrote in his cookbook. "In fact, he once brought Antonio Carluccio, a well-known Italian cook in London, to Balmoral to search for and bottle wild mushrooms."

McGrady shared additional anecdotes about Charles during a March 2020 interview with Delish. McGrady referred to Charles as a "foodie" who loves Italian food.

"One of the things I noticed about the Prince of Wales is his love of Italian food," McGrady told the outlet. "Whether it was wild mushroom risotto or polenta dishes – sort of healthy eating. That's what Italian food is: simple, elegant food."

Charles' love for Italian food often translated to family meals, McGrady said. 

"When Prince Charles, Princess Diana, William, and Harry were all eating together, often, Italian food was on the menu," he told Delish. "Princess Diana loved it too because it was simple, clean," and included "lots of nice salads." 

McGrady added that Wiliam and Harry were big fans of Italian pizza. 

McGrady told Delish that "when it comes to eating, no two days are the same for the Prince of Wales."

"He normally starts the day with some fruit for breakfast, often some plums from the garden that have been lightly poached. A little juice and some muesli to go with it," McGrady said.

McGrady said at the time that Charles also eats hard-boiled eggs and toast during his afternoon tea.

Although McGrady didn't share this tidbit, it deserves a place on the list.

The official Clarence House Instagram account shared the recipe for Charles' beloved cheesy baked eggs in May 2020 to mark the British Cheese Weekender.

"His Royal Highness has been Patron of the Speciality Cheesemakers Association since 1993," the caption read. The cheesy baked egg recipe includes spinach, cherry or sundried tomatoes, basil leaves, soft cheese, and an egg.