King Charles’s ‘two plums’ breakfast rule recalled by former royal chef Darren McGrady
King Charles has been described as highly particular about his food, and a former royal chef has recalled one breakfast rule that even puzzled palace staff. Darren McGrady said the monarch insisted on being served two plums with his morning fruit, despite apparently eating only one.
Recounting the routine from his time cooking for the then Prince of Wales, McGrady said the instruction was to place two plums and a little juice into a bowl for breakfast, but one would regularly return uneaten. Hello Magazine reported that when the chef tried sending just one plum, staff returned to request that “His Royal Highness have two please”.
McGrady shared the story while appearing on the Channel 5 documentary Secrets of the Royal Kitchen, where he discussed serving Charles fruit picked from the King’s garden at Highgrove and said plums were a particular favourite. He described putting the leftover plum back into the jar and repeating the routine daily after being told to stick to the two-plum instruction.
The recollection adds to a wider picture of the King’s well-known attention to detail, including how his working day and private habits are said to be tightly structured, as explored in coverage of King Charles facing decisions involving his sons amid ongoing family tensions.
While the anecdote is light-hearted, it highlights how closely royal household staff are expected to follow routines and preferences, even in small matters such as the number of pieces of fruit served at breakfast.
