King Charles Has Given Up His Favorite Hobby After Getting Injured

King Charles looks sad and holds his head while wearing a red military uniform — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

As a member of the Royal Family, it's highly likely that King Charles doesn't experience many of the constraints most regular people deal with on a daily basis. However, in recent years, the monarch has found himself forced to give up some of the hobbies he once enjoyed.

During his royal tour of Australia and Samoa in October 2024, King Charles was asked what his favorite sport was. After revealing he had a penchant for horseback riding, Charles emotionally explained, "I can't do much now, too many injuries," via the Express. The King also referenced his history as a polo player, saying, "I used to sit on a horse."

King Charles [center] rides a horse at Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023.

Prince Charles competing in a cross country event in Cirencester, He is riding a horse called Candlewick — King Charles competes in a horseback riding event in Cirencester on April 1, 1978.

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry addressed some of the injuries his father had sustained, writing, "Open the wrong door and you might burst in on Pa while his valet was helping him dress," via Page Six. The Duke of Sussex continued, "Worse, you might blunder in as he was doing his headstands. Prescribed by his physio, these exercises were the only effective remedy for the constant pain in Pa's neck and back. Old polo injuries, mostly."

King Charles has been forced to give up horse riding following too many injuries — King Charles gave up horseback riding after sustaining injuries.

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'Spare' by Prince Harry

King Charles shared his love of horseback riding with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II—who died on Sept. 8, 2022. The late Queen rode horses and ponies until her death, and never gave up the beloved hobby.

Queen Elizabeth's stud groom, Terry Pendry, worked with the former monarch for more than 25 years. During an appearance on the "Rosebud" podcast on Sept. 6, 2024, Pendry discussed Elizabeth's "very last riding day," which took place on July 18, 2022.

"I walked, I was on my feet," he explained, noting that he typically rode his own pony next to Queen Elizabeth II. According to Pendry, Elizabeth quipped, "This hasn't happened to me since I was a princess...Someone walking alongside me like this."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.