A photo of Prince George and children's artwork: What's on Prince Charles's desk
The Royal Family has shown how they work from home over the last few months as the nation stays inside during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prince Charles has been one of the most active members of the Royal Family, as the first to open one of the field hospitals, and giving numerous messages throughout the lockdown.
Now Charles, 71, has turned DJ, giving an interview to Classic FM and hosting his own solo show on the station.
To mark the interview, conducted by Classic FM presenter Alan Titchmarsh, the station shared a picture of Charles at his desk in Birkhall - and it’s given away even more about the royal’s work from home office.
It’s thought to be the first time Charles has shared an image of his side of the desk, with previous pictures instead revealing the extensive bookshelves and keepsakes behind him.
So what’s on Charles’s desk as he works from home?
Black tea
The British essential, it looks like Charles takes his tea black. A dainty cup can be seen at his right hand side, with a spoon on the saucer, suggesting he might have added something to sweeten it.
The Duke of Rothesay, as he is known in Scotland, has previously spoken about the way he takes his tea.
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According to Evan Samson, 27, hospitality manager at Dumfries House, which had a grant from the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund, Charles likes his black tea brewed for five minutes, with the water boiling when it’s added.
He also prefers sweetening it with organic honey, rather than sugar, which makes sense as he and Camilla both keep bees.
Charles appears to prefer to add milk after the tea, though there’s no jug in this picture.
Family photos
There are plenty of pictures of family all around Charles’s desk.
An image of Camilla is at Charles’s left hand on the desk, showing he likes to keep her close when he is at work.
He’s also got a picture of the Queen Mother, his grandmother, in a frame next to Camilla.
That’s particularly significant because the interviews with Classic FM focussed a lot on her influence on him and his love of Classical music.
Speaking about his early memories, he said: “My grandmother used to play quite a bit of music, so I would hear something there.
“But I suspect the first time I really became aware of it was being taken by my grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, to Covent Garden aged seven, I think.
“It must have been in 1956 to see the Bolshoi Ballet perform. It was their first visit to the United Kingdom and I shall never forget that incredible occasion. I was completely inspired by it.”
He also suggested that it’s something all grandparents should do - and with Prince George turning seven this summer, perhaps he hopes to take him to the opera when lockdown is over.
There are more family photos on a sideboard in his office, including one which appears to be of Prince George.
The picture on the far left is a little boy wearing the same outfit as George wore for his sister Charlotte’s christening.
It’s next to what looks like some children’s artwork. Could George, Charlotte or Louis have sent their grandpa some of their lockdown art to brighten his office?
A different shot of Charles’s work from home setup showed he had the picture of him cuddling Prince Louis framed too.
It was shared especially for Louis’s second birthday earlier this year.
Scattered papers
Other photos of Charles, and his wife Camilla, at their desks in Scotland, have revealed the royals seem to prefer pens and paper to working on a laptop or a computer.
The latest picture shows this is still the case, but far from a neat stack of papers, Charles seems to be surrounded by scattered letters and notes.
Underneath the microphone on his desk to make sure his interview was picked up clearly, there’s a selection of paperwork, perhaps with his notes on it for the chat with Titchmarsh.
There’s also a stack of books, which can’t be seen because there’s more paper on top of them.
A tech upgrade
Last time we saw Prince Charles’s iPad set up, he had it propped up on some books, including some of his own.
But it looks like he’s had an upgrade and treated himself to a proper stand for his video calls
It’s sure to make his zoom family calls a bit easier too.
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In the background, there’s a glimpse of a comfy green sofa, and some CDs and a player.
There’s also a tall houseplant, an unsurprising addition to such a green fingered royal’s office.
Charles has tested positive for coronavirus himself and recovered and he and his wife Camilla have been in Birkhall, in the Queen’s Balmoral estate, since late March.
With the Queen’s health taken into particular consideration, Charles and his son William have been seen carrying out virtual engagements, alongside their wives and Charles’s brother Edward and his wife Sophie.
