King Charles has reportedly revealed one of his biggest regrets… and it’s certainly not what you would expect.
The monarch, who celebrated his 78th birthday on Saturday, has supposedly rued the fact that he has never been on a holiday to Butlin’s.
Despite his repeated requests to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, he and his sister Princess Anne are said to have never got the chance to visit the popular British holiday resorts as children.
A friend of the King said that Charles has spoken about missing out on a Butlin’s holiday several times over the years.
They told The Sunday Times: ‘One of the King’s funniest stories that he’s told a few times – and it’s whenever you get him onto his list of regrets of things he hasn’t done – that he’s never been to Butlin’s, and that he and Princess Anne never went as children.
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‘He asked the Queen and Prince Philip many times if he and Anne could go on holiday to Butlin’s as children, and he tells how the Queen would always say: “I don’t quite think we will be able to manage that.”‘
The friend added that Charles was disappointed he and Anne never managed to visit.
There are currently three Butlin’s resorts in the UK, located in Minehead, Somerset, Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Skegness in Lincolnshire.
The company has since offered to help the King fulfil his childhood wish.
A spokesperson for Butlin’s said: ‘We’d like to wish His Majesty a very happy birthday and, as we celebrate our landmark 90th year, help him make a childhood wish come true.
‘His late mother visited Butlin’s in 1963, and we’d be delighted to invite the King and his family to visit one of our resorts.’
The King has two birthday celebrations each year, with his actual birthday falling on November 14 and his official birthday marked in June.
The latter is celebrated with the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in central London.
The tradition dates back to 1748 and has been held annually since the reign of King George III.
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