Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
John Bett

King Charles had no idea what cling film was and 'shrieked' first time he saw it

We've all had kitchen nightmares before, getting stressed while cooking a risotto and struggling to find the right utensils or serving dishes. And so, it turns out, has the new King of England, who had no idea what cling film was and 'shrieked' the first time he saw it.

Author Tom Bower wrote a book about Prince Philip, called Rebel Prince, and in it, he shared an anecdote about the late royal's son, King Charles III. As the tale goes, the then prince is said to have "shrieked" and "trembled" when first coming into contact with cling film.

According to Bower, one of Prince Philip's gripes about Charles was his disconnect with the regular world, which was never clearer than when he struggled with the cling film.

Luckily, Camilla was able to calm King Charles down (Getty Images)

For the latest updates as the world mourns the Queen and King Charles III's reign begins, follow our live blog.

Thankfully, wife Camilla Parker Bowles was there to settle his nerves.

The book reads: "He walked into the dining room and shrieked. Fearing the worst, Camilla dashed in after him. ‘What’s this?’ asked her husband, pointing at the food.

"'It's cling film, darling,' she replied."

The segment was first published in the Guardian, but Clarence House declined to comment on the book's release.

Without official comment, we don't know whether Charles really did squeal at discovering cling film – or indeed other stories from Rebel Prince are fact or fiction. Either way, it's a compelling read.

Other highlights from Bower include Charles' penchant for changing clothes – allegedly up to four times a day – and his 120-strong staff.

The former Prince of Wales also has a strict ritual as to how he likes to spend his day - with his former press secretary revealing all about how he skips lunch but takes a pause at 5pm for sandwiches, before working up until midnight.

While the new King is known to enjoy the finer things in life, he can be fussy about all manner of things - from having his shoelaces ironed to extra requests on how he likes to have his bath water.

A clip shared on Saturday of His Majesty at St James's Palace during the Accession Council before his first Changing of the Guard also gave a glimpse into how particular he can be - where he became visibly frustrated at a tray pen getting in the way of him signing papers at a desk.

You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.