Prince Charles’ Nanny Made Him a Picky Eater–Plus Other Reasons Why He Was Called a ‘Spoiled’ Child
Many people suspect that royals all grew up in luxurious palaces with staff members fulfilling their every wish. In the case of Prince Charles, it seems he did live a very pampered life as a child, especially since he grew up as the queen’s oldest son and heir to the throne.
For instance, Charles’ nanny encouraged his habit of picky eating, and his own father believed he was a rather “spoiled” kid.
Prince Charles’ nanny was reportedly fired for making him a picky eater
As a child, Charles had a nanny named Helen Lightbody. According to royal author Bryan Kozlowski, Lightbody turned Charles into a picky eater. She was eventually fired when Queen Elizabeth found out about this.
“In 1956, the queen sent the nursery a simple request that Charles, then 8 years old, be given a special pudding she thought he might like,” Kozlowski wrote in his book Long Live the Queen! 13 Rules for Living from Britain’s Longest Reigning Monarch, as reported by Express. “Nanny Lightbody refused, crossed the dessert from the menu, and incurred the crown’s wrath. Nobody crosses out the queen’s request.”
He also said, “It’s said [Lightbody] took pleasure in tormenting the palace kitchen with her exacting standards. Dishes for young Charles were constantly being refused or remade based on little more than Nanny Lightbody’s personal whims. The queen eventually had enough and fired her.”
Prince Philip thought Prince Charles was too ‘spoiled’
Although we do not know many details about Charles’ childhood, it has been said that even his father, Prince Philip, thought he was too “spoiled.”
Granted, Philip’s opinion about his son might have come from his alpha male attitude. Charles was not good at sports and much preferred studying art and literature. He was also prone to sinus infections and had a sensitive skin, which did not sit well with Philip.
“His father, Prince Philip, thought him weedy, effete, and spoiled,” a New Yorker article from 2017 said. “Too physically uncoördinated to be any good at team sports, too scared of horses to enjoy riding lessons, and too sensitive not to despair when, at the age of eight, he was sent away to boarding school.”
Philip eventually had Charles enrolled at his alma mater, Gordonstoun School in Scotland. At the time, Gordonstoun was an all-male institution known for its tough, Spartan image. Charles reportedly had a hard time fitting in with fellow students and was a target for bullying.
Prince Charles is now known for his high maintenance lifestyle
As an adult, Charles often makes headlines for his alleged high maintenance lifestyle. For example, it has been said that his staff members have to cook his eggs in a very specific way, which leads them to waste quite a lot of eggs every week.
When traveling, Charles also reportedly brings his own toilet seat and other personal items, such as his orthopedic bed and landscape pictures of the Scottish highlands.
Meanwhile, other reports have alleged that Charles demands his pajamas be pressed every morning and has a staffer puts toothpaste on his toothbrush for him.
