King Charles’ chef makes heartbreaking admission about the ‘only thing’ he can control

A chef weighs in on the sad realities of royal life, beyond the glitz and glamour

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Published August 12, 2026
King Charles’ chef makes heartbreaking admission about the ‘only thing’ he can control

King Charles’ reign has been marred with a lot of world events, whether it be wars, or personal woes like cancer, his and his daughter-in-law’s. but now a former chef, Visen Anenden, reveals the one way the monarch allegedly copes with the lack of control they have over their own lives.

According to him, it starts at their dinner table because all the royals are not big eaters.

He spoke about this with Marie Claire and admits, the King is “extremely interested in what he eats.”

“He’s very seasonal, and everything comes from the estate. He always wants to know where something has come from, so menus were very particular.”

As for rules surrounding produce, and food the ex-chef says, “it would be only what you could source from the garden.”

Another thing he also highlighted is how strict the King and Queen are about their intakes and admitted, “The thing with the royals is that they don’t eat a lot. It was always small portions. It’s never substantial, loaded plates at all, never.”

The chef who served as the head chef for the British royal family for over a decade before stepping down also admitted an emotional titbit near the end. In his view, “they’re very conscious of their diet. It isn’t just them, but also lots of private households I’ve worked for; they all eat small portions. It can be to do with control. People like King Charles, because they have control over the food; that’s the only aspect of their life that they can control.”

H. Anjum
H. Anjum is a News Editor at The News International (Digital) with over five years of newsroom experience. She is a media graduate specialising in British royal coverage, reporting on monarchies, traditions, and modern royal life. She also writes on fashion, movies and TV shows with contemporary relevance for a global audience.
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