Flaxseed for breakfast and not lunch – how the king stays fit to best serve him in his fight against cancer

King Charles is known for his love of the outdoors and often breakfasts on fiber-rich linseed on fruit.

And this healthy lifestyle will ensure that the monarch is in the best position possible in his fight against cancer.

In addition to a healthy breakfast, the king says he regularly refrains from eating meat, fish and dairy on certain days of the week.

A lover of fresh produce, he even launched his own food brand, Duchy Originals, in 1990, which is now run as Waitrose Duchy Organic.

Meanwhile, a list of facts about Charles on the royal family's website confirms that he 'doesn't eat lunch' due to his hectic schedule.

His former press secretary Julian Payne also said: 'The king doesn't eat lunch; So an early lesson I learned while out and about with him was to have a big breakfast or pack a few snack bars to keep you going.

'The working day is quite brutal. Starting with the headlines on the radio and a breakfast of seasonal fruit salad and seeds with tea.'

In fact, his only break in his relentless schedule is taken around 1 p.m., “not to eat, but to go outside for a walk.”

“The king doesn't like to be inside for too long and always has the windows wide open,” Payne said.

This love of the outdoors – including hiking and camping – is said to have originated during his time at Gordonstoun School.

This has never diminished as Bear Grylls describes him throughout his life as 'an adventurer through and through' and a 'champion of the outdoors'.

Experts agree that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important both in cancer prevention and during cancer treatment.

There is some evidence that it may help manage the stress and fatigue caused by cancer and its treatment, with the only exception being certain cancers, such as those of the bone.

Research has also shown that people who exercise during treatment not only cope better with side effects, but also live longer.

International guidelines recommend patients stay active and resume normal activities as soon as possible.

With a reputation for being fit and healthy for his age of 75, Charles has remained active with hill walking and gardening.

He has rarely required hospital treatment, apart from relatively minor ailments, his recent treatment for prostate enlargement and accidents resulting from his active lifestyle such as polo and skiing.

Numerous falls during his many years of playing polo are thought to be responsible for the back pain he has suffered for decades.

A tartan cushion is often taken on royal tours, while a red velvet equivalent is apparently always placed on the king's chair during state banquets at Buckingham Palace.

During an engagement at a Sikh temple in Southall, west London, in 2003, he told the congregation he would need some care as he sat on the hard floor.

“I don't think I've ever needed an osteopath so much as I do now,” he said. “My back isn't quite set up to sit on the ground, so I might need some help when I go outside.”

That same year, he underwent hernia surgery at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London, the hospital favored by the royal family.

In typical fashion, he took it easy and even joked “hernia today, gone tomorrow” to waiting media after he was fired the next day.

Five years later, in 2008, he underwent a minor, routine procedure to have a benign growth removed from the bridge of his nose.

More recently, in March 2020, it was reported that then-Prince Charles had tested positive for Covid-19 but had only mild symptoms.

While isolating in Birkhall, Aberdeenshire, away from the then Duchess of Cornwall who tested negative, he continued to work at his desk.

The king reported losing his sense of taste and smell for a time and later spoke of the “strange, frustrating and often disturbing” experience of being without friends and relatives during the lockdown.

He struck Covid for a second time in February 2022, but by then he had been triple vaccinated.

An advocate of alternative and complementary medicine, including homeopathy, Charles was even a patron of the regulatory body, the General Osteopathy Council.

As a result, he has urged health ministers to take a more holistic approach to tackling health problems – an approach he is now likely to take himself alongside what has been described as a 'schedule of regular treatments'.