Is King Charles A Vegetarian?
When King Charles replaced the traditional dish of coronation chicken – created especially for the coronation of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in 1953 with a new dish called coronation quiche for his own coronation — there was speculation about what his choice might signify. The new creation was entirely vegetarian, inducing broad beans, spinach, and tarragon among its ingredients. So is this a sign of a green future for the UK? Does it indicate that King Charles is a vegetarian?
In short: No, King Charles is not vegetarian. However, he's not meat-obsessive, either. The King of the United Kingdom is known to have some particular — and peculiar — food habits, and his love of the specific extends to his approach to vegetarian eating. He has previously stated that he is fish and meat-free for two days a week, and dairy-free one day a week, essentially making him a flexitarian. Flexitarianism is the practice of deliberately eating fewer animal products but not fully excluding them from your diet, and it's way more popular than you may think. Flexitarians make up 42% of consumers globally, and there's a lot of scientific evidence to support the idea that eating less meat can have a positive impact on both you and the environment. King Charles has explained that his motive for following a flexitarian diet is environmental, and he believes that if more people did this it would ease current pressures on the environment.
King Charles, the environmentally conscious
Charles was 73 years old when he became King of the United Kingdom, making him the oldest ever person to become a British ruler. Before this, he spent his entire life from the age of three as heir-apparent, a role which allowed him the freedom to support and champion many causes as an adult. One issue in particular that has been a long-lasting concern of King Charles is climate change. He spoke publicly about the subject as early as 1970, at the age of just 21! While his views on climate change were treated with more skepticism then, society has since caught up with the King's perspective. However, this doesn't necessarily mean a greener Britain: It is a royal protocol that the British monarch should remain politically neutral, and many view climate change as a political subject. King Charles has claimed to understand the frustration of Extinction Rebellion and sympathize with Greta Thunberg, but his environmental concerns may have to go on hold now he's King.
The King's food interests overlap with his environmental concerns. In 1990, he set up the company Dutchy Originals to sell the organic produce created on his land. Now in partnership with upscale British supermarket brand Waitrose, it operates following a 'Good Food Charter' with the motto "Good Food, Good Farming, Good Causes". Although its first product was oat biscuits, the Dutchy range is not exclusively vegetarian and also includes chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and even salmon.
Are any other royals vegetarian?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly follow a flexitarian diet that's comparable to Harry's father's. Markle has said in interviews that she follows a vegan diet during the week but allows herself more flexibility on the weekends, and it is thought that the couple's child is also being raised on a flexitarian diet. Harry's brother Prince William has had vegan options served at Christmas Dinner, courtesy of his flexitarian mother-in-law Carole Middleton. While not vegan or vegetarian himself, Prince William became increasingly involved in environmental causes, even before his father was crowned king in 2023. In 2014, he took an agricultural course at the University of Cambridge called the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, in which he studied organic farming. However, the only member of the British royal family who is known to follow a strictly plant-based diet is Princess Beatrice. In 2019, the princess held a vegan dinner party to celebrate her 31st birthday, and she's known to particularly enjoy vegan sushi.
What about the royal families of other nations? There are relatively few royals who are known to be vegetarian, but the Spanish royal family is an exception. Queen Sofia, the former queen of Spain until 2014, is a pescatarian, and so too is her daughter Princess Cristina and her sister Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark. With vegetarian and vegan diets on the rise, it seems likely there will be more royal families following the Greek-Spanish example in the future.