For King Charles and Queen Camilla, scents play a big role in their private lives, and they certainly have strong opinions about what they like and dislike.
In a recent reveal, former staff members Grant Harrold, the King’s personal butler at Highgrove, and Jack Stooks, a long-time gardener, shared the royal couple’s fragrance preferences.
King Charles’ Aversion to Fake Tan
One scent King Charles can’t stand is the unmistakable smell of fake tan. Harrold shared a humorous, yet cringe-worthy story from his time working with the royal family. After losing some weight, Harrold had decided to try a spray tan, but the results were less than ideal.
“I remember it left my skin with this awful sweet smell, and that evening I went to do dinner service,” Harrold recalled. As he served King Charles, the monarch started sniffing the air and asked Queen Camilla if she could smell something strange. Camilla jokingly suggested it might be Harrold, and it didn’t take long before the unpleasant scent led to him being sent to the pantry and given the week off to recover.
Queen Camilla’s Dislike for a Specific Flower
As for Queen Camilla, there’s one plant she absolutely can’t stand. The fritillaria meleagris, a flower known for its pungent fragrance, is so revolting to the Queen that she specifically requested it never be planted in her garden.
According to Stooks, “Camilla hates the smell of the fritillaria meleagris,” and made it clear to him that it should not be included in her beloved garden at Ray Mill House.
Despite this, the Queen is known to be very “green-fingered,” with a particular pride in the garden she maintains.
Both King Charles and Queen Camilla’s strong preferences show how sensitive their noses are to certain scents—proving that even royalty has their quirks when it comes to the world of fragrances!
