King Charles is a 'pampered' royal who has his shoelaces ironed for him

[brooklynite]

King Charles is a 'pampered' royal who has his shoelaces ironed for him, insists on travelling with luxurious steamed bed linen - and likes to have one inch of toothpaste squeezed onto his toothbrush, Omid Scobie claims in new book

King Charles is a 'pampered' royal who has his shoelaces ironed for him, Harry and Meghan's biographer has claimed.

Author Omid Scobie makes the claims in his new book which also alleges His Majesty insists on travelling with luxurious perfectly steamed 1,000-thread-count bed linen.

In another snide attack Scobie says Charles likes to have someone squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush for him as part as his bedtime routine.

An extract from the 42-year-old's new book Endgame published in The Sun reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12792203/King-Charles-pampered-royal-shoelaces-ironed-insists-travelling-luxurious-steamed-bed-linen-likes-one-inch-toothpaste-squeezed-toothbrush-Omid-Scobie-claims-new-book.html

[Sneederbunk]

1. It's good to be King.

[Oopsie Daisy]

17. 👑👍😄

[MOMFUDSKI]

2. There is no such thing as

king.

[Vinca]

3. You wonder if he could survive one day in the real world.

[Chainfire]

4. In my whole life, I have never ironed my shoelaces. I guess I am a slob.

[raging moderate]

6. Well, Charles has never ironed his shoelaces, either.

He has been pampered and coddled too much.

[Chainfire]

10. I will demand that my future ex-wife iron my shoelaces for me. ;)

It was a good 52 year run, but that would do it.

[3catwoman3]

38. A demand for ironed shoelaces would definitely be on...

...the "go to hell" list

[Chellee]

42. Well, that's certainly a guaranteed way of turning a wife into an ex-wife.

[debm55]

18. Why would anyone want their shoelaces ironed?

[EX500rider]

23. Reminds me of Downton Abby where the servants are ironing the newspaper

[niyad]

27. There was an actual reason for that-- to make sure that the ink

was dry so that it would not get all over their hands. (and to get tge wrinkles and creases out).

[Retrograde]

44. Before c. 1980 newsprint came off easily

it may have been dry, but it still got all over your hands. Ironing the paper with a clean rag or other piece of paper on top would transfer the excess ink, making it possible to read the paper without getting one's aristocratic hands dirty. The late lamented SF Examiner (NOT the same as the present rag of that name) ran a big ad campaign when they changed to non-smear ink.

Me, I was too lazy to iron the newspaper (and didn't trust myself with such dangerous implements before my first cup of caffeine) so I just washed my hands afterwards.

[BlueSpot]

103. Wait, does that make Silly Putty not work anymore either?

That would be kind of sad.

[Hekate]

60. My one long-ago gripe about reading newspapers was that my hands would become black

…and that the ink would then transfer to anything else I touched.

[leftieNanner]

79. Wouldn't that

Melt the little plastic ends?

[dflprincess]

83. You avoid running the iron over them. nt

[LeftInTX]

85. How would you know?..LOL

[dflprincess]

94. A long time ago when I was in Junior High home ec we were being taught to sew

and I learned the hard way when I ran a very hot iron over a nylon zipper (and probably let it sit there too long). I would rather have leaned with a shoelace! Way less repair work to be done.

[LeftInTX]

100. Been there. Done that!

[3catwoman3]

93. Fun obscure fact - the little plastic end...

…of a shoelace has a name - aglet.

[Lasher]

99. I learned that from watching Phineas and Ferb.

I'll bet you did too.

https://phineasandferb.fandom.com/wiki/A-G-L-E-T

[3catwoman3]

101. This is the first I have heard of Phineas and Ferb.

It might have been a Dictionary.com word of the day. I don’t remember where I came across it.

It would be a good Jeopardy question.

[republianmushroom]

5. Well the USA had trump shall we compare ?

[former9thward]

48. Yes, we should.

Nobody in America does the type of things English royalty does.

[Hekate]

61. Really? We have an ultra-rich elite class-- I hate to think what some of them get up to

[former9thward]

64. If we had people whose servants put toothpaste on their brushes and ironed their shoelaces we would hear about it.

We have tell alls about everything.

[Hekate]

65. As I said in another post, people have other opportunities for employment these days

If they want to take someone’s wages and make fun of them to the tabloids for harmless and perfectly legal eccentricities, they should find other work.

Trump? Lord, what a twisted freak he is. By all means tell us about his illegal behavior — and for gods’ sake have the dignity to quit and go elsewhere.

[OldBaldy1701E]

67. What about the 'confidentiality clause' in most employment contracts?

Most cannot afford the fines involved. So, they don't talk about it. Besides, I would prefer they discuss the illegal and immoral things the rich were doing, not their quaint little quirks. But that would get the formerly employed dragged into civil court and a surefire loss. Not to mention dealing with the fact that the rich have people to call to handle such things. I think they are called 'henchmen'.

[former9thward]

69. I am sure the Royals have confidentiality agreements with their staff.

But that has not stopped us from hearing about their personal lives.

[OldBaldy1701E]

70. I am not, but that is another point for another time.

Although they are not seen as such these days, they were once considered 'God's representative on earth', and it was considered little less than blasphemy to speak ill of the monarchy. Not to mention getting one's head chopped off. That reticence carries over to today I am afraid. However, the disconnect is getting stronger and it is true that we hear about this stuff more today than we would have, say about 40 years ago.

[Mossfern]

7. An inch of toothpaste?

Isn't that a bit much?
Does he tie his own shoes, or does someone do that for him too?

I prefer my privacy, thank you.

[EYESORE 9001]

14. I caught that too

Does his inbred royal lineage include three rows of teeth as a genetic defect?

[LeftInTX]

90. Can he even afford to get his teeth fixed? The crown is spending all it's funds on shoelace ironing.

[Polybius]

15. I wonder if he has a servant scrub his back while he's in the shower

[Voltaire2]

20. I assume one inch long, not high.

But even that is a mouthful.

[Hekate]

74. Waste not, want not

As for privacy, the “great houses” of yore employed a lot of live-in staff to keep them running, so I’d say there was little assumption of the kind of privacy we moderns take for granted in our homes.

[NorseSaxonCelt]

8. Toothpaste

Broke his wrist, that was why he had someone put toothpaste on his toothbrush.

[KS Toronado]

12. "Broke his wrist" ? Have a link to that info?

And welcome to DU.

[Polybius]

16. I think the poster was making a joke

At least that's how I read it.

[quaint]

19. Charles has also strained tendons in his wrist while salmon fishing in Scotland, and injured himself gardening.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/03/25/charless-sporting-injuries-and-minor-operations-over-the-years/

[NorseSaxonCelt]

33. He fell off a horse...playing Polo.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/03/25/charless-sporting-injuries-and-minor-operations-over-the-years/

Scobie is recycling claims by Paul Burrell who is not exactly reliable.

Charles III has always been very particular in his tastes but his reign is actually much more relaxed and William will be very different.

[Chellee]

43. I don't really follow the Royal family much.

In what ways do you anticipate William will differ in his approach to his duties?

[William769]

49. What's up with King Charles III's fingers?

The new King has been crowned, but what has caused him to have such red, swollen hands? A doctor weighs in.

King Charles III is officially, well, the King, but that hasn't stopped eagle-eyed fans from zoning in on something other than the monarch's crown.

Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year, thus increasing attention on Charles, people cannot stop looking and wondering about the King's hands – specifically his fingers, which look inflamed, swollen and a concerning shade of red.

People first noticed Charles' red digits at a signing ceremony at Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle, when the King lost his temper with a pen. The close shots of his hands sparked fascination and concern, and the Internet quickly ran wild.

https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/whats-up-with-king-charles-iiis-fingers/news-story/802c5a5104fef99a46036b2bfbb06a78

[Hekate]

73. Really looks like a medical condition. Ouch.

[niyad]

28. Welcome to our DU family.

[Bayard]

9. Sounds like BS to me

I bet he dresses himself too.

[LeftInTX]

92. But it's fun BS!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. I hope he's buying his toothpaste at Pound Tree, because

that’s way too much toothpaste.

I don’t know how many times I’ve had to tell the servants that a pea-sized amount is all that is needed.

[lastlib]

13. (Good help is so hard to get these days.......)

I tell mine the same thing, but she doesn't listen.........

[Voltaire2]

21. Lol. He doesn't shop. He has servants.

[Think. Again.]

55. Pound Tree!!!

[Midnight Writer]

106. Wouldn't the King Of England measure his toothpaste in centimeters?

[prodigitalson]

22. I call bs on this...nobody irons shoelaces unless they're insane

[malaise]

24. All,of those inbred shithounds

are insane 😀

[jrthin]

53. Exactly!!!

[malaise]

54. LOL

and Yow!😀

[rsdsharp]

25. Apparently, Chuck doesn't use an Oral B electric.

There’s no room for that much toothpaste in that round head.

[no_hypocrisy]

26. FFS

Harry and Meghan got out in time

[jimfields33]

72. They seem to be airing this. I'm not sure I'd give my dads weird situations out to the world.

So much for their desired privacy.

[no_hypocrisy]

87. I have no problem with a little publicity here and there.

I tell scores of true stories about my father because of his strange behavior. It keeps me sane.

[meadowlander]

29. How much of that is his choice/preference and how much is prescribed by tradition?

It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't give a damn about either but doesn't want to upset the royal shoelace ironer or toothpaste squeezer by putting them out of a job. Those can be really prestigious appointments that get handed down through generations.

[harumph]

31. ding ding ding!

You are absolutely correct. It's a make-work program and as long as they have their monarchy you'll have
people that are paid to attend the royals. Hell, it's probably a pretty good gig.
I'm not fond of monarchies - but it's not my monkey - and not my circus.

[viva la]

35. There used to be an equerry for the Royal Stool

He would deal with Henry VIII's poop.

[kskiska]

40. Queen Elizabeth bathed in exactly 7 inches of bathwater every morning.

She also had her shoes broken in by her aide, who wore the same size. Charles was brought up in what is now considered to be antiquated upper class traditions.

[Hekate]

78. The bath thing was established during WWII -- something about everybody not wasting water...

…during a time of overall scarcity, so her family did its part.

[3catwoman3]

95. That must have been pretty chilly.

7 inches of water wouldn’t even cover me up to my belly button. Lots of exposed skin subject to evaporative cooling. Brrrrrr

[Hekate]

98. I was raised on showers, and one of the reasons I prefer them still is the flow of water...

So lovely and warm. No wastage. No getting chilled.
The Queen always struck me as such an earnest person.

[dflprincess]

84. Back when I dressed up more for work

I wouldn't have minded having someone else to break in new shoes (especially the heels) before I spent the day in them.

[Retrograde]

45. I think those traditions

are made up as they go along. If you look back at the history of British royalty I don't think there was as much king (or queen) worship in the past - especially when you look at the ones who died under mysterious circumstances, or were just kicked off the throne.

[NYC Liberal]

59. My favorite is George III's coronation. Certainly not as precisely coordinated

as even routine royal events are today.

On the way to the abbey, the Bishop of Rochester nearly dropped the crown he was carrying; fortunately it had been pinned to the cushion on which it sat.[19] One spectator noted that the heralds made "numerous mistakes and stupidities", another that "the whole was confusion, irregularity and disorder".[27] The King felt it inappropriate to take Communion wearing his crown, and asked the archbishop if it should be removed, the archbishop in turn asked the Dean of Westminster, but had to report that neither knew what the usual form was; the king removed his crown anyway.[28] At some point in the proceedings, a large jewel is reputed to have fallen from the crown, which was later said to have been an omen presaging American Independence.[29][30] During the sermon, the congregation in the nave who were unable to hear it, began to eat, mainly cold meat and pies, and drink wine brought with them and given out by servants; the ensuing clatter of cutlery resulted in an outburst of laughter. When the queen wanted to visit the "retiring-chamber" which had been constructed for her use in St Edward's Chapel behind the high altar, she found it already occupied by the Duke of Newcastle, prime minister, who was making use of the queen's close stool.[31] When the king complained to Effingham about these problems, he admitted that there had been "some neglect", but that he would make sure that the next coronation would be organised properly (when, of course, the king would be dead). George was highly amused by the answer and made Effingham repeat it several times.[32][20]

[Hekate]

62. Lordy!

[LeftInTX]

91. They must have had the Daily Mail doing the coronation write up!

[cachukis]

30. Have you no aspirations? The American Dream;

to have it all? I'd say he earned his legacy. It's not easy learning how to manage shoe lace appearance.

Do I have to say sarcasm?

[ms liberty]

32. Why is this even in General Discussion? Shouldn't gossip be relegated to the Lounge?

[Hekate]

37. Thank you for saying this

[viva la]

34. I'm not sure who would be surprised by this.

Queen E II was just as "royal".
We rebelled against this kind of privilege.Of course, all these billionaires are probably just as pampered, and they don't have any obligation to service and duty.

I don't need a valet to iron my shoestrings. I wear loafers.

[MineralMan]

36. Since I do not live in the UK, I can't see any reason for me to be bothered.

They like their monarchy there, enough to maintain it in luxury. I don't care.

[Hekate]

39. I think it's an odd hobby for Americans. Why should we even care. Look at our elites...

Gwyneth Paltrow markets personal care products called “Goop,” and even sells a candle labeled “Smells like My Vagina.” She’s an airhead who makes me cringe when she talks to the late-night tv hosts — but she’s gotten quite rich by doing this.

Elon Musk — but I won’t even go there. We all know.

Donald Trump lives in a succession of faux-Louis XIV gilded set-pieces and aspires to be an absolute dictator.

At least the Royals have some class and exist in a constitutional monarchy.

[keithbvadu2]

71. Trump is relatively Nouveau riche. Got the bucks but no class or culture of old money.

[3catwoman3]

96. Paltrow is an airhead with plenty...

…of airhead customers.

The name of her candle is crass, immature and exhibitionist.

[MineralMan]

104. I agree. I don't mind if the British like their royalty.

It doesn't affect me in any way. The whole thing is really just ceremonial now, anyhow. Pomp without circumstance.

[3catwoman3]

41. It was reported that Queen Elizabeth II had someone wear...

...new pairs of her shoes to break them in for her.

https://people.com/royals/queen-elizabeth-staff-break-in-her-shoes-before-wearing-them/#:~:text=Before%20Queen%20Elizabeth%20puts%20on,Kelly%2C%20breaks%20them%20in%20herself.

I enlarged the close-up of Charles' shoes that is in the linked article, and the shoelaces look like the round type. How would you iron something round?

[LeftInTX]

86. The shoe thing does not surprise me.

I would do that too, if I could.

[Kennah]

46. Hobson: Perhaps you would like me to come in there and wash your dick for you, you little shit.

[pandr32]

47. I like 1000tc real Egyptian cotton sheets, too.

I like them fresh-folded while hot from the dryer so they are smooth. That is no different than freshly steamed.
I also like to replace shoe laces when they start to wear. New ones are always 'ironed'. Nothing is more preventable than a broken shoelace.
As for the prepping my toothbrush? I would expect it if I had a Valet. It would be nice to have all my things inspected and laid out for me. I have to do it myself and do not begrudge a king, queen, prince, or any 'Royal' for being so fortunate.
This sounds like much ado about nothing.

[Hekate]

63. I've never had such a high thread count, but if I could travel w some I would! As it is...

…I know people who travel w their personal bed-pillow, and if I could travel by car (lots of space) instead of airplane (no luggage room) I would too.

I agree — silly thing to get worked up about. Being “in service” used to be a good job in times gone by, when choices were few. Farming and manual labor, grinding factory work — versus taking care of people who gave you a place to live and meals and a salary. Hmmm.

As for taking care of the Royals — there are lots of opportunities these days for education and many different kinds of employment. Anyone who wants to both take wages from King Charles and make fun of his lifestyle really should consider another line of work. They employees are not being chained up.

[pandr32]

66. Agreed.

Be careful where you buy high thread count sheets if you do decide to give them a try. Most are counterfeit.

[Kaleva]

50. Not much different then Ike

"His valet used to put his watch on for him, and pull up his underpants, in the morning. "

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/presidents/dwight-d-eisenhower-1451148.html

[Glorfindel]

51. It's probably a case of royal staffers justifying their positions.

I doubt that His Majesty even notices such trivial things a shoelaces and bed linens.

[AnnaLee]

52. My shoelaces have plastic tips.

What kind of ironable tips do kings have?

[enid602]

56. Middleton

I think Kate ‘Simpleton’ would give him a run for his money. Why, her hats alone . . .

[BannonsLiver]

57. Isn't that how it goes at your home?

[WarGamer]

58. Stop the presses!!! The King of England is pampered??? wtf??

[Ocelot II]

68. It could be worse. There once was a king's servant called the Groom of the Stool.

The Groom of the Stool was a male servant in the household of the English monarch who was responsible for assisting the king in his toileting needs. It is a matter of some debate as to whether the duties involved cleaning the king's anus, but the groom is known to have been responsible for supplying a bowl, water and towels and also for monitoring the king's diet and bowel movements and liaising with the Royal Doctor about the king's health.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom_of_the_Stool

Being responsible for ironing the king's shoelaces and preparing his toothbrush sounds like a pretty good job in comparison, and I really doubt Charles has anyone wipe his butt for him. At least I hope not.

[Hekate]

76. The Necessary Woman carried away the used wiping-cloths in a basket

Oh the joys of toilet paper and flushable toilets, available to all.

[MFM008]

75. Murdoch media?

Yeah I'm sure a king is waited on hand and foot, so was the queen. These book writers are out to stir up the discontent, It's well known that Murdoch is an anti-royalist. And before you say oh he's not in the picture anymore because he's handed the whole thing over to one of his kids yeah where we heard that story before. I'm extremely suspicious.

[Hekate]

81. Yep

I think the only book I’ve read about the modern royals is Spare by Prince Harry. The tabloids and paparazzi have been absolutely merciless, and when they don’t have a story they make one up — I wouldn’t want that life for all the money in the world.

[Raine]

77. Nevertheless I wouldn't want to be

a royal for anything. Ugh living in a fishbowl with all eyes on you continually, IMO it's a nightmare life.

[Joinfortmill]

80. Yup, that's life if you're the King.

[captain queeg]

82. Hmm. Don't give TFG any ideas. Though I'm sure he has his own strange demands.

[LeftInTX]

88. Isn't it easier just to buy a new pair of shoe laces.

Maybe they iron his official dress shoe laces? (You know that outfit he wore at his coronation etc) But then, again new shoe laces are cheap.

His butler probably assures that his laces are tied properly. I

I call most of this BS, but it's fun and funny BS. If it's fake news, no one feels guilty about believing it.

Although he did wish that he was a tampon at one time.....

[LeftInTX]

89. Can't His Pampered Highness afford an orthodontist? Those teeth..LOL

[3catwoman3]

97. Definitely could benefit from Invisalign...

…on those bottom teeth.

[unblock]

102. a king?? *pampered*??? whoever heard of such a thing! my goodness!

and here i always thought all kings (and queens for that matter) were hard-working, salt-of-the-earth, ordinary people who wouldn't dream of having anyone do any chores for them or want things meticulously prim and proper.

shattered, my entire worldview is, shattered i tell you!

[BlueTsunami2018]

105. Royalty being treated like royalty?

What a shocker.