King Charles Will Only Eat Boiled Eggs Cooked Like This

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The dining habits of royalty have, for centuries, been the subject of intense speculation. From rumors that Marie Antoinette first introduced croissants to France (she didn't — the flaky rolls are Austrian in origin, like the Queen herself) to the wedding cake recipe passed down to the Windsors from Queen Victoria herself, it seems there is a particular affinity between the public and the contents of the plates served up at royal palaces. This makes sense; after all, royals have access to the best of the best in terms of food and drink. Of course we want a peak at the king or queen's breakfast table. Sometimes our curiosity is piqued by royal extravagance. Other times, however, what draws us in is sheer oddity.

Take, for example, King Charles III. The now-King and long-time British Prince is known for his quirky habits, both gustatory and otherwise. He likes his toothpaste pre-squeezed onto his toothbrush, for example. Perhaps his quirkiest quirk is his penchant for eggs. King Charles doesn't like just any eggs, however. He likes his eggs boiled for precisely four minutes, resulting in a soft, runny yolk. Not only does he love runny eggs, which would be pretty banal on its own, but he eats boiled eggs every day for breakfast and, rumor has it, does not eat any egg boiled for longer than four minutes. In fact, according to Jeremy Paxman's book "On Royalty," the staff of then-Prince Charles made him a spread of seven eggs each morning in hopes that one of the eggs might suit his fancy. Now that's a food habit worth noting.

Some key aspects of this eggy rumor have been staunchly rebuked by the British royals. According to the Royal Palace, King Charles is not so picky about his eggs' doneness, and does not trash any "unsuitable" eggs. This isn't to say that he doesn't have a strong preference for the soft-boiled stuff. In fact, according to a former chef, King Charles did have a strong preference specifically for four-minute eggs, and pots were kept at a constant simmer in case he requested them at any given moment.

King Charles has also been known to crave an egg along with a good glass of whiskey following a hunt. Not only this, but the eggs and whiskey were prepared not just for King Charles, but also for his guests. As to why eggs were paired with whiskey, that we may never know. It is certainly an interesting combination of food and drink, bringing together the spare simplicity of breakfast and the richness of a post-dinner cocktail. You can always make it at home and try it for yourself if you're feeling curious about the pairing, though it might not taste the same in your own home as it would in the splendors of a royal palace. That might be an essential part of the whole tableaux.

An unusual adoration of eggs isn't the only foodie quirk of King Charles' dining habits. The British sovereign is also known to be a staunch lunch-skipper. Yes, until recently, King Charles had been staunchly opposed to eating a midday meal since he considered it to be a bit of opulence not suited to his hustle and bustle schedule. Perhaps this explains his fancy for eggs at breakfast; after all, they are a great source of protein and fat.

King Charles' loathe of lunch came to an end in 2024 on doctor's orders. After his cancer diagnosis, he began to add eggs into his dining repertoire in order to help with his health. In particular, he begun to turn his appetite toward avocados. The green, fatty, fibrous food is a great addition to any diet, though it seems King Charles partakes of the fruit with his typical tendency toward restraint. For lunch, he now eats half an avocado, which is really more of a snack than a full meal. Still, even such a small change in routine is notable for someone as steadfast as the current King of England. Who knows, one day he may yet discover the joys of the internet's former favorite food: avocado toast topped with a perfectly jammy four-minute egg.