From mocked ideas to mainstream change—how the King rewrote the royal rulebook
King Charles has never been one to simply follow tradition. Long before he ascended the throne, he was already reshaping what it meant to be a royal—especially when it came to his passion for protecting the planet.
A vocal advocate for sustainability, Charles has often taken an unconventional route to environmentalism. Many of his bold initiatives were initially dismissed as eccentric or even absurd, but over time, they’ve helped redefine the image of the modern monarchy.
Among his most discussed decisions was his commitment to organic farming at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. At a time when organic methods were far from mainstream, Charles faced widespread criticism. He was even branded “a complete idiot” by critics for rejecting chemical-intensive practices in favour of natural farming that limited antibiotics and synthetic inputs.
But he remained firm in his beliefs. “One of the reasons I went organic 40 years ago was because I felt there was an overuse of antibiotics,” he explained in 2022.
His concern for the environment began even earlier. At just 21, Charles delivered a groundbreaking speech highlighting the dangers of plastic pollution and toxic waste in rivers and seas. The response at the time was dismissive. “I was considered rather dotty, to say the least, for even suggesting these things,” he later recalled in 2020.
That same spirit of innovation led him to install a reed-bed sewage system at Highgrove—another idea that drew ridicule at first but is now seen as a forward-thinking solution.
Though his lease on Home Farm ended in 2020, Charles continues to champion organic farming at Sandringham, staying true to his environmental ethos.
He’s also applied his green philosophy to his personal lifestyle. His classic Aston Martin was famously converted to run on biofuel made from a mixture of surplus English white wine and cheese whey. More recently, he was seen driving a sleek electric BMW at Sandringham—a £170,000 luxury vehicle with a 341-mile range.
In staying true to his values, King Charles has done more than pursue a personal mission—he’s transformed the Royal Family’s role in sustainability and shown how tradition can evolve without being left behind.
