‘Royal recipe’: how King Charles eats and exercises to stay fit at 75 – from a live-in vegan chef and plant-rich diet, to skipping lunch and following the Royal Canadian Air Force’s exercise plan

Dec 27 , 2023

Britain’s super-fit King Charles, skips lunch, eats organic produce and follows the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 5BX exercise plan alongside his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, which includes stretching and push ups daily. Photo: AFP

The oldest living king in British history, King Charles seem to be blessed with the same longevity genes as his parents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – but he also stays disciplined in maintaining a healthy diet and fitness routine

He skips lunch, eats organic produce and does twice-daily sit-ups, push-up and eagle jumps as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 5BX routine for pilots – a habit sons Prince William and Prince Harry both inherited

When Charles III ascended the throne in September 2022, he was the oldest person to become king in British history.

It didn’t come as a surprise; after all, the royals have a history of living a long life. Queen Elizabeth lived to be 96, Prince Philip died at 99 and the queen mother was 101. And like his late mother – who followed a balanced diet and “sensible exercise” routine – Charles is said to take good care of his health.

The king reportedly sticks to mostly plant-based eating and a simple exercise routine to stay healthy. Here’s a closer look at the royal’s diet and how he stays active.

Plants are said to play a big role in King Charles’ diet

Britain’s King Charles addresses a press conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Romania, on June 2. Photo: AFP

The royal family gave a peek into Charles’ eating habits on his 70th birthday, as it released a list of 70 fun facts about him. The list from 2018 is no longer available on the royal family’s website, but, according to reports at the time, it said that Charles skips one meal altogether daily.

“The Prince does not eat lunch,” fact No 20 on the list said, according to The Independent.

Prince Charles eats a oyster as he and Camilla visit the Whitstable Oyster Festival in Whitstable, England, in July 2013. Photo: Getty Images

Gordon Rayner, a former royal correspondent, reported for The Telegraph in 2018 that Charles views lunch as a “luxury that gets in the way of his work” and eats a “late breakfast” instead.

For his late breakfast, the king apparently enjoys cheesy baked eggs, as the official Clarence House Instagram account shared in a post from 2020. The list released for Charles’ birthday also stated that the king prefers Darjeeling tea with milk and honey.

And in 2021, the king said he sticks to a heavily plant-based diet as part of his efforts to combat climate change. “I haven’t eaten meat and fish on two days a week, and I don’t eat dairy products on one day a week,” he told a BBC radio station in October 2021, according to the Associated Press. “If more did that, you would reduce a lot of the pressure.”

King Charles receives flowers from locals as he arrives at his estate in Valea Zalanului (Zalan Valley), eastern Transylvania, Romania, on June 2. Photo: EPA-EFE