King Charles Has Doctor’s Order to Carry an Unusual Item on All His Official Engagements and Tours

King Charles III brings along something rather unusual whenever he embarks on his travels— his own supply of blood. This precaution, taken on the advice of his doctor, is to factor in emergencies when the monarch visits places where healthcare is unreliable. Later this month, when King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla head to Australia and Samoa for official engagements, his personal blood supply will once again be part of his travel essentials.

This may sound unusual, but it’s a long-standing royal practice. According to Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, the royal planes often carry blood products specifically matched to the royal’s blood type. Arbiter explained this measure during an episode of Hello’s A Right Royal Podcast. He stated, "[You have] got to make sure that you are covering every eventuality...There’s never any guarantee you are going to get the right type of blood at your destination."

In 2016, The Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner also reported that both the Queen and Prince Charles (now King) traveled with the same when visiting countries where medical services were less reliable. Their personal doctor was always just a few steps away, armed with a medical bag containing emergency medications, including a mobile defibrillator.

Additionally, the monarch is also known to carry a selection of bizarre items including his own produce, his childhood teddy bear, his orthopedic bed, and allegedly, his own toilet seat and loo roll. Charles once addressed the rumors about carrying a toilet seat. During a seven-day tour of Australia with his wife, he was questioned, "Is it true that you carry your own toilet seat when you travel?" Charles, taken aback, answered, "My own what?... Oh, don't believe all that c—p," People magazine reported.

While Charles’s travel checklist may be extensive, there’s one key item he doesn't need to bring along—his passport. As the British monarch, Charles is exempt from carrying one because passports are issued in the sovereign's name. According to the royal family’s official website, all other members of the royal family, including Queen Camilla and other senior royals, still require a passport when traveling abroad.

The Queen, during her reign, traveled extensively—visiting over 100 countries, covering more than a million miles. In 2023, the first British passports featuring the King’s name were issued. Home Secretary Suella Braverman commented on this transition, stating, “For 70 years, Her Majesty has appeared on British passports... Today marks a significant moment in U.K. history, as the first British passports since 1952 start featuring the title of His Majesty the King.”

Although the overall design of the navy blue passports remains the same, the language has been updated. The first page now reads, “His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”