It’s an open secret that the royal family of centuries past was pretty quirky, to put it mildly. From tawdry tales of Catherine the Great and horses to Henry VIII and his doomed wives, these nobles led some of the craziest lives. These days, modern royals aren’t quite so extreme when it comes to their passions. However, they are just as quirky, bordering on the neurotic!
How neurotic are we talking? Some of them are huge nerds for bees. Others have had lifelong childish habits they could just never kick. One of them gets insanely neurotic about little things, like toothpaste and shoelaces. Oh, and arguably the most famous royal of the modern world constantly waged war on bats. Yes, BATS. Just who are these royals, and what makes them so quirky once you get past that stoic facade? Keep reading to find out!
King Charles gets neurotic about toothpaste and shoelaces
Right now, King Charles is at the top of the royal food chain. He’s the reigning monarch…the guy fellow royals and regular citizens alike look to for guidance. And for the most part, his rule has been free of controversy (though his wife, Queen Camilla, has been at the heart of some modern scandals). Behind the scenes, though, Charles has a few weird habits that always manage to raise the eyebrows of those around him.
For example, he’s got strong opinions on toothpaste. In Omid Scobie’s book Endgame (no, there are no Avengers in it, stop asking!), Charles is reported to have a weird, standing request for his toothpaste. Specifically, he wants exactly one inch of toothpaste squeezed onto the brush before he uses it. That toothpaste must come from a special “crested silver dispenser” that is wielded by someone else. What, you really thought the King would squeeze toothpaste out on his own?
Additionally, Scobie’s book claimed that Charles demanded that his shoelaces be ironed. That may sound like overkill, but it’s the mark of a man who wants to look good. Interestingly, these are habits Charles has had long before he was crowned king!
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Queen Elizabeth vs. the bats
While she unfortunately died a few years ago, Queen Elizabeth arguably remains the most famous and beloved royal of the modern age. Like previous and future monarchs, Queen Elizabeth didn’t have to lift a finger if she didn’t want to; she had an army of servants who could fetch her whatever she needed, whenever she needed it. However, there were a few things that Elizabeth liked to give the personal treatment to. And one of those things was, incredibly enough, wrestling with bats each and every afternoon!
The bats would often gather in the great hall of the palace. For whatever reason, Elizabeth (according to royal author Brian Hoey) took matters into her own hands, using a butterfly net to remove them and release them. Why not just kill them? Simple: in England, these bats are treated as a protected species. So, Elizabeth had to get rid of them in a humane way, but that meant the bats would just keep coming back. And so did the Queen, as she wrestled with them every single day.
Kate really, REALLY loves bees
Kate Middleton is generally one of the most beloved royals. After all, she seems to have a genuinely fun personality, and people have always loved her fashion sense. Additionally, the fact that she survived cancer makes her that much more sympathetic. Despite all that, though, it often seems there’s very little we know about the real Kate. What does she like to do behind closed doors after she’s done dazzling the world? One surprising answer: spend time with her bees!
In March 2026, William and Kate were shopping on the Thames. Kate began excitedly talking to a vendor about how the different flowers a bee encounters can ultimately impact the flavor of the honey. At this, William pointed out, “Catherine’s got her own bees, she knows a lot about bees.” Which is…kinda cool, actually! Nonetheless, it would be a quirky habit for anyone to engage in, much less a future queen.
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Prince Harry’s weirdly childish habit
These days, there’s no shortage of people who have declared Prince Harry childish. Since marrying Meghan Markle, he’s quarreled with his brother, gotten cut off by his father, and eventually stepped down from most royal responsibilities so he and his wife could raise their family in America. Constantly showing out despite being born into a life of unimaginable wealth and influence? Talk about childish!
Fittingly enough, Harry also has a childish habit he could never kick: making faces and sticking his tongue out at people. He did it when he was a very young lad at the Trooping the Colour even in 1988. And he did it during a Lesotho visit in 2008 and again at a WellChild ceremony in 2018. Granted, he’s almost always doing it to make children laugh, but after all these decades, it’s enough to make Harry look like a child himself!