Camilla Tominey at the Telegraph wrote a somewhat interesting – but mostly sycophantic – piece about King Charles’s workaholic habits. Charles has always been known as a voracious reader and someone who enjoys letter-writing and paperwork, but Tominey makes it sound like Charles spends 18-20 hours a day fussing with his papers and reading everything sent to him, and I can’t imagine that’s what he’s really like. Tominey also added something curious about how Charles basically has to be “staffed” 24-7 because no one knows when he’s going to need a note or letter sent out. No “5 am emails,” but 5 am phone calls and letters. Some highlights from “What does a typical day in the life of ‘workaholic’ King Charles look like?”
It’s a struggle to keep up with Charles: “The people who work for him are worried he is doing too much for a man of 75,” confirmed one well-placed insider. “It’s sometimes a struggle to keep up with him.”
He regularly works 18-hour days: No stranger to early morning starts and post-midnight finishes, the grandfather-of- five was once described by his sons Princes William and Harry as so obsessed with paperwork that he would regularly fall asleep at his desk. “He does need to slow down, this is a man who has dinner ridiculously late at night,” revealed Harry in a 2018 documentary to mark his father’s 70th birthday. “And then goes to his desk later that night and will fall asleep on his notes to the point where he’ll wake up with a piece of paper stuck to his face.” Even phone calls with his son and heir are scheduled, taking place every Sunday.
No cell phone or emails: Because the King does not own a mobile phone, he makes the calls on a landline. (If anyone ever needs to get hold of the monarch in an emergency, they invariably contact a member of his protection team, who are with him 24/7). [Later in the morning], the King will then typically sit at his desk and go through his non-red-box paperwork. Because he “doesn’t do emails”, he will either write to people by hand or dictate more formal letters to his “executive secretary” before signing them, with a fountain pen. As demonstrated during the signing of a visitors’ book at Northern Ireland’s Hillsborough Castle after the late Queen died in 2022, he prefers not to use a fountain pen when he can avoid it and instead is never without a felt tip, usually red, to annotate the reams of paperwork he pores over on a daily basis.
He doesn’t mind a stiff drink in the evening: He will then return to his desk to plough through more paperwork before eating a late supper, usually of fish (very seldom red meat) at around 9pm. He rarely drinks but if he does fancy a tipple, it’s usually a Dubonnet – the royal family’s favourite aperitif – or a dry martini, which he is said to mix “very generously” for visitors. While the Queen relaxes by watching television, the King prefers to read and will often return to his desk after dinner.
Late night calls & messages: Because he prefers to work late into the night, there is a special roster of evening executive secretaries so someone is always on duty to set up telephone calls, take notes and pass on messages. Often staff will wake up to receive correspondence that has been delivered in the small hours.
I can’t believe the royal press still screams and cries about Meghan’s “5 am texts/emails.” Remember that? Meghan has the audacity – the temerity! – to expect Kensington Palace staffers to complete tasks and she sent a few non-urgent reminder texts or what have you. She was ripped to shreds for it, and you would have thought those palace staffers had never met anyone who woke up early and expected them to work a full day. And then there’s Charles, who apparently works though the night and expects his staff to be on call 24-7 in case he needs a note sent at 1 am.
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King Charles III delivers his address to the nation and the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace, London, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. Picture date: Friday September 9, 2022. . .,Image: 721402925, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon 
King Charles III during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, where King Charles III is formally proclaimed monarch. Charles automatically became King on the death of his mother, but the Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, confirms his role. Picture date: Saturday September 10, 2022. . .,Image: 721404798, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon 
Britain’s King Charles III speaks during the presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, inside the Palace of Westminster, central London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.,Image: 721936912, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: BEN STANSALL / Avalon
Berlin, GERMANY – Britain’s King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, sign the guest book during their visit to the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. The King and The Queen Consort’s first state visit to Germany is taking place in Berlin, Brandenburg and Hamburg from Wednesday, March 29th, to Friday, March 31st, 2023. The King and Queen Consort’s state visit to France, which was scheduled for March 26th – 29th, has been postponed due to ongoing mass strikes and protests. Pictured: King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort BACKGRID USA 30 MARCH 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication* 
The Prince of Wales views The SMI Fashion Coalition’s Digital ID, a virtual certificate that records each item’s history with members of the Fashion Coalition, one of the SMI’s ten Industry Coalitions which includes CEOs from some of the leading fashion houses including Giorgio Armani, Mulberry and Chloe at the Villa Wolkonsky Residence Gardens in Rome.,Image: 640704043, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown / Avalon 
King Charles III, watched by the President of the Senate, Mr Gerard Larcher, and the President of the National Assembly, Mrs Yael Braun-Pivet, signing the visitors book in the Salle des Conference as he arrives to address members of the Senate, at Luxembourg Palace in Paris, on day two of the state visit to France. It is the first time a member of the British Royal Family has spoken from the Senate Chamber. Featuring: King Charles III Where: Paris, France When: 21 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcW1lZn10e8qipaCXk52us7jErJahmaOUwbCrwZ6WrKyRm7OmsL5ra2Zvj5eypK3UrJyYoJWUwKa6w5ijmqyVYruqs8etlqado6iuqLHSmKWorJWofA%3D%3D