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    Prince Harry Once Brought King Charles an Unusual Food to Honor His Dad's "Dream Meal," Says Former Royal Chef

    "It had a really gamey smell but he seemed to like it."

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 6 May 2026 In News

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    Prince Harry and King Charles laughing
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    King Charles has long been a champion of organic food and farming, and although he enjoys fine dining, his favorite meal is rather simple. Chef Visen Anenden, who served King Charles and Queen Camilla for nearly a decade, recently shared some of his former boss’s surprising preferences—and a gift Prince Harry once brought to the kitchens.

    Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Anenden says that although The King is famously known to love the finer things in life, he's actually similarly inclined to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, and her unfussy eating habits.

    “I mean, his dream meal would probably be something simple like an omelette,” the former royal chef admitted. “He’s very fond of eggs, so he’d be more than happy with an omelette, or perhaps scrambled eggs, anything along those lines.”

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    King Charles eating a cake

    King Charles attends a slow food reception in Italy in 2009.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Anenden says that Prince Harry even gave The King a special, enormous egg one time to honor his dad’s love of the breakfast food. “Harry once got him an ostrich egg which he asked me to cook up into scrambled eggs,” the chef said. “It served about 14 people. It had a really gamey smell but he seemed to like it.”

    Touching on a longstanding rumor about The King's over-the-top breakfast requests, Anenden says that it's “complete nonsense.”

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    “I remember a story going around claiming that Charles had 12 eggs lined up every morning to test which one was best cooked,” he says, adding that “never happened” and he has “no idea where it came from.”

    “It wouldn’t fit with him at all, especially given his views on waste,” the chef continues. “He’ll have one egg, simply prepared. He just genuinely enjoys them, and it’s something he often chooses as a starter.”

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    King Charles and Prince Harry standing next to each other in suits

    Prince Harry is pictured with The King in 2012.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Another rather basic food that King Charles loves is a baked potato. “If he had been out at something like a film premiere, where food wasn’t part of the occasion, he would prefer to return to a simple cold supper, usually around 10 p.m.,” Anenden says. “He never expected anyone to stay on for it. Instead, he would ask for something prepared in advance, perhaps a pie or quiche with a few salads, along with a jacket potato.”

    The King was fond of a super crispy skin on his potatoes, along with “plenty of butter and a pinch of salt,” the former royal chef reveals.

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    King Charles Prince Harry
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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