King Charles has traveled the world, met global leaders, and even foraged for mushrooms on royal estates. Yet, one place he rarely ventures is the kitchen. In Tom Bower’s biography Rebel Prince, later republished as Rebel King: The Making of a Monarch, Bower recounts a surprising encounter between Charles and plastic wrap (also known as cling film).

According to Bower, Charles was visibly unsettled upon seeing the material for the first time. “He walked into the dining room and shrieked,” Bower wrote. “Fearing the worst, Camilla dashed in after him. ‘What’s this?’ asked her husband, pointing at the food.” Camilla calmly replied, “It’s cling film, darling,” in what felt like a classic upstairs-downstairs royal moment.

This amusing story resurfaced with the release of Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles’s new cookbook, Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes From Queen Victoria to Charles III. In the book, Parker Bowles reveals that the king and queen enjoy competitive mushroom foraging. He also highlights Charles’s commitment to reducing food waste, explaining that the monarch encourages chefs to creatively reuse leftovers. Describing Charles as “a true food hero,” Parker Bowles praised his dedication to sustainable agriculture and ensuring “there is no waste at his table.”

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