King Charles’ controversial habits that changed Royal rulebook

King Charles has never been one to follow the herd. Even before ascending the throne, the monarch was carving his own path especially when it came to his passion for the planet.

A longtime champion of sustainability, he has often taken an unconventional approach to environmentalism, embracing bold ideas that were once met with ridicule. 

Among his most talked about decisions was his move to farm organically at his beloved Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. 

At a time when organic farming was far from mainstream, Charles’ drew criticism.

He was even dubbed 'a complete idiot' by some critics for rejecting traditional farming practices in favour of organic methods, which limit the use of antibiotics and synthetic chemicals. 

But the now King remained steadfast. "One of the reasons I went organic 40 years ago was because I felt there was an overuse of antibiotics," he explained in 2022.

At just 21 years old, he delivered a landmark speech warning of the dangers of plastic pollution and chemical waste in rivers and seas.

"I was considered rather dotty, to say the least, for even suggesting these things," he later recalled in 2020, referencing both his environmental stance and a once mocked reed bed sewage system he installed at Highgrove. 

"Rather like when I set up a reed-bed sewage treatment system at Highgrove all those years ago that was considered completely mad."

While the lease on Home Farm ended in 2020, King Charles continues to farm organically at Sandringham.

Determined to reduce pollution and modernise his lifestyle, Charles famously converted his classic Aston Martin to run on biofuel powered by a blend of English white wine and whey from cheese. 

More recently, he’s been spotted behind the wheel of a sleek new electric BMW at Sandringham, a luxury vehicle with a £170,000 price tag and a 341-mile range.