A green king in Buckingham Palace

As the young Prince of Wales and now as the King, Charles truly embodies his love for the environment

King Charles III’s green roots run deep. Really deep. Back in 1969, as a young Prince of Wales, he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Harold Wilson about the decline of salmon stocks in Scottish rivers. “People are notoriously short-sighted when it comes to questions of wildlife,” he wrote. This set the precedent for his many decades of environmental campaigning. During his time as a Prince itself, the new King used his position to champion positive change by spearheading numerous initiatives for the good of the planet. No wonder that he’s being hailed as The Green King. 

In 2020, Prince Charles established the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), mobilising the private sector to accelerate their efforts towards a greener future. Today, SMI counts more than 500 CEOs as part of the initiative, including the heads of some of the world’s biggest financial institutions. All of them have signed the SMI’s green “Terra Carta” pledge for pro-active pro-Earth initiatives.

The King has green fingers too. Back in the 1980s, he began transforming his Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove, into an organic haven. There was scepticism all around but the initiative was a grand success, gradually becoming a thriving business called Duchy Organic. The produce is now sold at Waitrose stores, and all profits go towards charitable causes via the King’s own foundation.

The new King has been leading his green-ism by personal example too. Charles has made visible personal changes to reduce his environmental impact. He has gone on record outlining some recent swaps he has made, including switching the heating of Birkhall to biomass boilers and installing solar panels at Clarence House. About 90 per cent of the energy for office and domestic use of the King now comes from renewable sources. For several years, Charles has published his annual carbon footprint — including unofficial travel — which amounted to a mere 490 tonnes in the year to March 2022.

The King’s car, an Aston Martin owned by him for more than 50 years, has been modified to run on surplus English white wine and whey from the cheesemaking process. It runs on a mixture of 8 per cent bioethanol and 15 per cent unleaded petrol.

As the Prince of Wales, Charles also helped launch the Campaign for Wool initiative, of which he is the patron. Its mission is to educate consumers about the benefits of wool, a material that biodegrades naturally, meaning it doesn’t accumulate in landfill and oceans. Events initiated by the new King culminate in the annual Wool Week, which engages customers in all things wool through a mix of activities spanning interiors, fashion and design.

The oil used to anoint the King in the coronation — one of the most sacred and mysterious parts of the ceremony reflected modern day animal-friendly sensitivities — the oil did not include any ingredients from animals. The “chrism oil” included olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, and orange blossom. The oil was consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where it is believed Jesus died and was buried. King Charles insisted that it be “cruelty-free”.

The invitation for the May 6 coronation was printed on recycled paper. Reflecting the King’s many years of environmental campaigning, the artwork for the coronation invitation used the folklore figure of the “green man”, with features made from ivy, hawthorn and oak leaves. According to Buckingham Palace, the invitation is a symbol of spring and rebirth, which celebrates a new reign. The design by illustrator Andrew Jamieson also included images of the natural world, including wildflowers, birds and insects, as well as national and heraldic emblems.

For his coronation, King Charles III decided not to commission new clothes and instead wore pieces with historical significance, dating back to 1821. The Robe of State is a long crimson robe edged with ermine fur and gold lace and worn to the coronation and events like the State Opening of Parliament. Instead of commissioning a new Robe of State, Charles used the one created in 1937 for his grandfather, King George VI. Charles removed the Robe of State for his anointing with holy oil. To do this, he put on the Colobium Sindonis — a simple linen tunic, designed to hide the ornate clothing worn by the monarch beneath. Instead of having a new vestment made, Charles again opted to wear the Colobium Sindonis, created in 1937 for the coronation of his grandfather, King George VI. Following his anointing, Charles removed the Colobium Sindonis and put on the Supertunica, which is a full-length gold tunic with long sleeves. This Supertunica too was created in 1911 for his great-grandfather, King George V. So, the new monarch literally has been wearing his love for green on his sleeve. Way to go, King Charles.

God Save the Green King!     

The writer is managing director of Rediffusion