The secret to the King’s diet: A strong cocktail before dinner. But Camilla prefers red wine

King Charles famously starts his day with nuts and seeds. But there is another, essential, part of his diet that comes a little later in the day: a strong cocktail. 

Royal commentator Gordon Rayner claims that the King is partial to a martini comprised of half gin and half dry vermouth, garnished with an olive or lemon twist. 

And that this is taken before dinner every night. 

It has been suggested that the King even takes the ingredients along with him along when travelling abroad – along with his own glass.

Stirred not shaken: King Charles in good spirits as he sampled Hepple Gin during his visit to Moorland Spirit Company’s Morpeth distillery in 2018

Queen Camilla prefers to drink of red wine. Pictured: The Queen during a visit to a Chilean vineyard

While Queen Camilla also takes her drink of choice on holiday, she prefers her own supply of red wine, typically sourced from the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux. 

The King’s martini has to be served in a certain way, according to Mr Rayner. 

He told The Telegraph: ‘When he travels abroad he takes his own spirits with him to be mixed by his staff to his precise taste, while the Queen takes her own supply of red wine, usually from the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux.

‘The King may sip a glass of wine during dinner but his martini is effectively his only drink of the day.’

According to previous reports, His Majesty enjoys the drink stirred, not shaken.

The 74-year-old King remains conscious of his health. 

During his stays on his Balmoral estate, it has been said that his bodyguards have a running joke about whose turn it is to join the king on his ‘leisurely stroll’ each day.

The King’s drink of choice is a martini, half gin and half dry vermouth, garnished with an olive or lemon twist (stock image)

Raise a glass: King Charles and Queen Camilla with TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh in  2005

His daily exertions are far from ‘leisurely’, entailing an hour-long walk across hills and moors, making it a struggle for even those half of his age to keep up.

The King, who is 5ft 10in tall maintains a weight of 11st 5lbs, giving him an almost perfect body mass index of 22.8, according to Mr Rayner.

While it may be tricky to resist elaborate banquets during his royal duties, Charles maintains a flexitarian diet where he avoids meat and fish for two days a week. On a third day, he will avoid dairy products.