The Day HRH Prince Charles MET ME

As it says, HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales met me once. January 2007 I was asked to meet him as part of my job, A Head Chef for the Ministry of Defence. I was involved in the visit from an early stage, preparing, planning, rehearsing for His Royal Highness’s arrival, studying protocol and being reminded how to behave. The day of the visit came, and we were in situe quite early on in the day. We rehearsed our greetings, had a practice or three and then the moment came. Prince Charles entered our tent, a mock field kitchen inside a hangar.

We were actually cooking, we had bread in the oven, and some sort of Chinese food cooking in the large field kitchen bratt pan, both for the aromas and for the interest it created, but also we were ready to feed His Royal Highness should he decide he wanted to eat. He met some of our other staff before making his way to me; I was the last man in our tent before he moved on.

I bowed from the neck, greeting him exactly as we had been briefed, and he offered me his hand so I duly accepted. We were informed not to offer our hands, but if The Prince offered his we may shake it. Not too firmly, not for too long. We shook hands and I realised that I had been shaking it for considerably longer than any of my nervous colleagues did! We were under strict instructions to keep it brief, short handshake, short chat, and let him move along. ….

…Well what do you think!!! One chance to meet the Future King of Great Britain, I wanted him to remember who Rob Fletcher was!!

Looooong handshake (not intentional, honest!) And we both seemed instantly relaxed. He asked me how long I’d been a chef, all the usual questions about life etc, then just as he was about to move on, he came back to me.

HRH: “So, do you ever have any food left over?”


Me: Attempting to impress - “Not often Sir, we plan very carefully and we tend to know in advance how many people we’re feeding”


HRH: “But you must have something, sometimes?”


Me: Well sometimes Sir, yes we do have some food left ” (By this stage I have no idea where this is going, the entourage are looking on and extremely interested in our now “epic by comparison” conversation


HRH: “CHICKENS!” he exclaimed!


Me: “Chickens Sir?”


HRH: “Yes, Chickens, marvellous creatures, eat everything” By this stage it feels like an interview on Parky or something, were now chatting freely and are like two old pals


Me: “I’m not sure my boss would allow me to keep chickens at the back of the mess Sir?”


HRH: “I feed mine allsorts, they eat anything you know, you should get some”!


I’ve now been TOLD by the next King of our fine and pleasant land that I should get some chickens! What should I do?


Me: “Well I’ll tell you what Sir, you square it with my Boss, and I promise I’ll keep those chickens well fed!”


HRH: Laughing out loud by now “I’ll see that he knows, it was nice meeting you”


Me: “And you too sir, Thank You”

Of course I never did get the chickens, and my boss never was ordered to get the mess some chickens either. The only chickens we’d be getting were delivered at -18 degrees centigrade with the giblets missing!

What I did get, through a little will, determination and probably some brass-neck was about 4 times longer with “Charlie” than anyone else, (Can I call him that? We are buddies now after all?) And some superb photographs from the units photographers to give to my Gran.

I had asked the photographers (Whom I knew beforehand) to get me some good photos, especially to make my Gran proud. They exclaimed that they do not normally get time, as HRH does not spend long enough with each individual.


“You leave that bit to me” I told them…

Like I say. On that January in 2007 HRH Prince Charles, The Prince Of Wales MET ROB FLETCHER, not the other way around!! And My Gran got her Photos!!

God Bless you Sir ;-)