King Charles III is always the picture of sophistication in smart suits and military attire, but he sported an unexpected accessory in 2001 following an injury at home.
READ: King Charles and Queen Camilla share moving personal message from Balmoral
For several public engagements, the King could be seen wearing an eye patch to protect his eye following an accident – his makeshift patch wasn’t a result of swash-buckling activities though, and instead was sustained while partaking in a spot of gardening.
WATCH: King Charles praises the positive benefits of gardening
King Charles III had to wear the patch after he got a large amount of dust in his eye while sawing a tree in his garden.
SEE: King Charles' favourite Buckingham Palace childhood feature he'll be keen to restore
RELATED: King Charles to move into Buckingham Palace sooner than expected - details
Following the gardening mishap, the then 52-year-old had to undergo hospital treatment, which resulted in his pirate-like protection.
Another of the King's hobbies landed him with an injury back in the summer of 1990.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKing Charles had to have an eye operation following a gardening mishap
Prince William's father broke his arm during a polo match in Cirencester and was seen leaving Cirencester Hospital with his then wife, Princess Diana, after doctors placed his broken arm in a sling.
READ: Prince William seeks help running the estate he's inherited
Charles is not the only royal to sustain a broken bone after riding a horse. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, broke her left wrist when her horse tripped and they both fell in 1994, during a ride at her Sandringham estate.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKing Charles wore his eye patch for several engagements
"She was out riding on Saturday as usual when her horse tripped and fell and the Queen fell onto her left wrist. The fracture is to the scaphoid bone," said a spokesman at the time.
"It is not a serious break, it is just an inconvenient thing. It was thought just to be a bruise to start with and the break was not diagnosed until nearly 24 hours afterward," he added.
