King Charles maintains strict rules inside his vehicles to keep them spotless during travel. A former butler who served the monarch shares insights into the King’s preferences for car contents.
King’s Love for Driving and Key Car Items
The monarch enjoys driving himself, especially in his prized Aston Martin DB6 Volante, a gift received on his 21st birthday. Water bottles and mints are standard in royal cars, given the extensive public interactions.
However, snacks remain strictly prohibited. Grant Harrold, who once served as the King’s butler, explained: “We would always have bottles of water in the back of the cars for all the royals, and normally there would be mints too as they obviously spend their days talking to people… But the King never had snacks in the car as he really doesn’t like mess.”
Other essentials include a back-support cushion and official papers. Harrold noted: “The King always had a cushion on his seat to support his back, we always had to make sure there was one in there for him. And the King would nearly always work if he was being driven somewhere, so he would have all his official papers in the car too. He was always working away, especially if it was a long drive.”
Memorable Drive at Balmoral Estate
Harrold recounted a unique experience being driven by the King around Balmoral Estate with the Duke of Westminster and another butler. “We were up at the Balmoral Estate, we were going somewhere and he decided to drive – so it was the King and the Duke of Westminster in the front, and me and one of the other butlers in the back,” he said.
“He was a very good driver. It was quite bumpy because of the country lanes in Balmoral, but we all just had a normal conversation. That was a surreal moment.”
Updates to the Royal Fleet
The royal vehicles continue to evolve with sustainability in mind. The King’s Aston Martin now runs on waste from wine and cheese production. In 2024, two Bentley State Limousines switched to biofuel. Last year, the King received a Lotus Eletre SUV, a high-performance model with nearly 1,000 horsepower that accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in under three seconds.
