King Charles Breaks A Lifelong Habit With Meghan Markle’s Go-To Snack Amid Cancer Recovery

King Charles III and Meghan Markle might not seem like they have much in common, but both share a surprising love for avocados. Charles used to skip lunch, considering it a 'luxury' he didn't have time for amidst his busy royal schedule. However, following his recent cancer diagnosis, his doctors and wife, Queen Consort Camilla, urged him to rethink his eating habits. Now, he includes a light midday snack, often choosing a simple but healthy option—half an avocado.

A source close to the royal family revealed to the Daily Mail, “With some reluctance, he now has something to eat at lunchtime—a snack, really. He now eats half an avocado to sustain him through the day. It's important, particularly if you have got an illness.” Meanwhile, Markle’s love for avocados has long been well-documented. In January 2019, her friend and makeup artist, Daniel Martin, posted a picture on Instagram, showcasing Markle's famous smashed avocado on toast, served on a silver platter alongside chocolate truffles and tea. Martin even affectionately referred to Meghan as the 'avocado toast whisperer.'

Charles, however, sticks to simplicity, often avoiding toast and consuming avocados on their own. Despite the differences in how they enjoy this fruit, both Charles and Markle seem to appreciate the avocado for its nutritional benefits—it is packed with healthy fats, magnesium, and omega-3s. In addition to consuming superfoods, Charles was known to follow a healthy and organic diet, with a particular preference for eggs. During a 2021 appearance on BBC's Big Interviews, he discussed these dietary changes and shared insights on how the public could help reduce their carbon footprint.

According to The Express, he said, "For years I haven’t eaten meat and fish on two days a week and I don’t eat dairy products on one day a week. Now I mean that’s one way to do it if more did that you would reduce a lot of the pressure on the environment and everything else." He added, "Because you see the thing about meat is very important, where does it come from, how is it grown? So if it’s grass-based and from the right breeds, you know if it is better quality but eaten less often...that approach to farming is less damaging than the industrialized approach with intensive everything, and causing huge pressures and damage."

Recently, his stepson and food critic, Tom Parker Bowles, also offered insight into the King’s frugal approach to meals. Bowles noted, “Everything is recycled. If anything is left over, it’s reused the next day.” He continued, "Tea has always been a spectacle – and an important and substantial meal in itself – for the royals. Everyone congregates for tea. And it's not just cakes and biscuits and crumpets and sandwiches. You might even get poached eggs. If you are staying in Scotland, it's quite dangerous, because you have a cooked breakfast, you have lunch, you have tea and you have dinner. [Charles] eats them only for utilitarian purposes."