King Charles‘s former gardener has revealed his favourite types of vegetables – and the two varieties he “banned” from the royal greenhouses altogether.
David Pearce from Hampshire worked for the King at Highgrove for around a year in his kitchen garden during the pandemic. He said that the monarch, 77, would have personal requests about what was grown there – even insisting that carrots should be a specific size.
David told The Farnham Herald this week that while Charles was a fan of salad and asparagus, he was less fond of squash and courgettes.
He said: “We were growing mostly things he requested himself – a whole bed of salad and two whole beds of asparagus, he was very keen on that.
“Things like cauliflower, and he particularly liked his crudité carrots – we would have to grow them to a particular size, of your little finger.”
“He particularly liked spinach,” David added. “We grew onions, leeks and Florence fennel. It was mostly working with him and his individual preferences. But squash was off the cards, and absolutely no courgettes.”
A green-fingered King
Green-fingered King Charles is well known for his love of gardening, something he shares with the Princess of Wales. He also loves beekeeping, and his bees produce jars of honey at his Highgrove estate.
The King has owned Highgrove since 1980 and regularly escapes to his countryside abode with his wife, Queen Camilla. He’s also a big champion of the environment, with his dedication emphasised in his recent Amazon documentary, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision.
Charles said previously: “It is therefore my fondest hope that this film may encourage a new audience to learn about the philosophy of Harmony – and perhaps inspire the same sense of determination it has given me to help build a more sustainable future.”
On Wednesday, Charles received the Blue Peter Green Badge at Dumfries House to honour his work protecting the environment. The King was presented with the badge for his environmental work and support for young people provided through The King’s Trust.
A busy royal week lined up
The King has been busy this week, with engagements to celebrate the life of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Monday and Tuesday, including a reception at Buckingham Palace.
© Getty ImagesCharles and Camilla also viewed designs for a memorial in her honour at the British Museum, calling them “fantastic”, before his engagements at Dumfries House on Wednesday.
Next week, Their Majesties will jet to the US for a much-anticipated state visit, joining President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania at the White House.
Asked by the BBC on Thursday whether the King’s trip will help repair strained transatlantic relations, Trump said: “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
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