A man who used to work as a butler for King Charles has spoken about the cars owned by the Royal Family, including which ones the monarch drives.
Grant Harrold has said that, among the many cars the King has driven in his lifetime, that there are some with special features or additions.
This includes a Jaguar on which there is a small, but pertinent, message about the King’s campaigning stance when it comes to nature.
Speaking on behalf of Select Car leasing, Grant claimed: “He also has a Jaguar which has a big sticker on the back saying ‘Save the Red Squirrel’.”
The Jaguar is one of many British cars at the disposal of the King, including Land Rovers, a Lotus, and others.
However, there is one car that stands out above the rest, his Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante, which was given to him by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as a 21st birthday present.
Furthermore, as the car has gotten older, it has been modified to be more environmentally friendly. It was converted to run on wine and cheese waste rather than fossil fuels, something Grant added was a source mirth to the staff and Prince William.
He explained: “But the interesting thing about it is that he had it modified in 2008 so it runs on wine and cheese. We couldn’t believe it when we found out, we used to joke about it a lot in the staff room. Prince William used to mock his dad for it a lot, in a loving way of course, but it’s just such a random thing to do.
“But he’s so conscious of the environment, and was long before it became mainstream. He was always looking for ways he could to protect the environment, it’s something he’s so passionate about.”
Grant added that Charles is “very protective” of the car and rarely lets anyone else drive it. Prince William drove it when he got married to Kate Middleton, and a chef once had to drive it back from an airport, resulting in “a big hoo-ha” as Charles gave a list of do's and don’ts about how to operate the car.
Grant also revealed that whilst the King doesn’t need a driving licence, he has one anyway, this is because they are issued in the name of his government.
Grant's comments come after it was reported that a new car was set to join the royal fleet in the shape of a Lotus Eletre SUV that costs north of £100,000.
The Anglo-Chinese car is capable of going from 0 to 62mph in less than three seconds and can reach a top speed of over 160mph; it also has a range of around 280 miles and over 900hp.
It was announced in 2024 that two Bentleys also on the royal fleet would be converted to run on biofuel to reduce the royal household’s carbon footprint.
