A Hollywood A-lister reportedly once had to excuse himself from a dinner at Sandringham with King Charles and leave the room due to a smell.
Saltburn actor Richard E. Grant has enjoyed a close friendship with King Charles for 25 years, serving as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and previously heaping praise on the monarch in his memoir.
Richard and Charles’ friendship even extends to stays at the Royal Family’s 20,000-acre Sandringham estate, reports the Mail. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Norfolk countryside, the estate is much-loved by Charles and Camilla.
However, the Hollywood actor once encountered pungent smells while visiting the retreat, reports the Mail, with Richard apparently even having to excuse himself when a certain food item entered the room.
Richard said: “I’ve stayed with them [the Royal Family] in Sandringham. The cheeses came into the dining room, and I left.” The 67-year-old actor, who is known for his role in ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?, added: “It’s very easy just to excuse yourself and go to the loo for 20 minutes.”
In 2022, Richard revealed that Charles was “extraordinarily kind” prior to his wife Joan Washington’s tragic death in 2021.
He explained that both Charles and Queen Camilla sent letters and even organised a visit with Joan at Highgrove House. The dialect coach, who worked with Jessica Chastain and Penelope Cruz, sadly passed away from lung cancer, aged 74.
Speaking to the Mail On Sunday’s You Magazine, Richard revealed that he’s a “well-documented fan” of accents and The Goon Show and loved his wife’s “ability to do different voices”.
Richard said: “They were both extraordinarily kind, visiting and so on, given how busy he is.”
Sandringham serves as a private country retreat for Charles and Camilla, but it’s also a working estate that was originally recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Sant Dersingham”, according to the official website.
It also states that Sandringham’s gardens were first opened to the public by King Edward VII in 1908, with the late Queen Elizabeth II opening the house in 1977 during her Silver Jubilee year.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have recently participated in a nine-day tour, taking in Australia and Samoa, although it was scaled back due to the monarch’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
A senior palace official said the King has “genuinely loved” the tour, with Charles thriving on the packed schedule of engagements. It was revealed this week that Charles will resume a full schedule of tours next year.
The official said: “It is hard to overstate the joy that he takes from duty and service and being in public and seeing those crowds engaging with communities across the spectrum. That really does lift the spirits. You can see that.”
