King Charles drinking coconut cocktail and posing in front of Sydney Opera House

How to holiday like King Charles: France, Australia & more royal destinations

Discover how the monarch likes to kick back and relax with Queen Consort Camilla

Fashion features writer
April 25, 2023

With a consistently hectic schedule, King Charles is often busy running up and down the country for official engagements. So, when the time comes for the monarch to jet off on holiday with his wife Queen Consort Camilla, he likes to make the most of it.

From France to Sydney, the royal, 74, has ventured to some exquisite destinations during his adult years. Doing so in style (private jet is the preferred mode of transport), King Charles never misses an opportunity to throw himself into vacation activities, cultural tours and more, racking up multiple stamps in his colourful royal passport during the process. Want to know how to live it up on holiday like the royal? Well, now you can. Be it beach breaks, mountain getaways, or polo tournaments, discover where and how the monarch enjoys his much-deserved holidays. Sit-down travel influencers - King Charles was the OG jet-setter…

WATCH: Where the royals love to holiday

France

King Charles pictured mallet-wielding in France

Just a quick hop across the channel, France provides the perfect getaway opportunity for royal family members. King Charles has frequented the country many times, from his younger years travelling to Deauville for polo tournaments to parading the streets of Paris with his first wife Princess Diana.

Isle of Wight

Gone with the windsurfer

Even closer than France is the Isle of Wight, where King Charles has been known to enjoy a day on the beach. Back In 1979, the monarch famously donned a wetsuit and tested out his windsurfing skills in Cowes, which, we have to say, was a bit of a royal swoon moment for fans.

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Switzerland

Skiing chic in the Alps with Prince William

Nothing quite beats a skiing holiday, a notion King Charles agrees with. Before fatherhood, the then-prince hit the slopes with friends in Klosters, Switzerland, returning to the resort with his sons Prince William and Prince Harry when they were children. The royal championed classic eighties skiwear on both occasions, rocking a retro all-in-one as he glided down the Swiss runs.

RELATED: 20 fun photos of the royals enjoying a ski trip to inspire your winter break 

Australia

Between a rock and warm place with Princess Diana in Australia

King Charles headed down under back in 1981 and clearly had a blast. He was pictured posing outside the Royal Opera House in Sydney and having a full-blown James Bond Moment as he emerged from the waves on Bondi Beach. He loved the country so much that he returned two years later with Princess Diana. The couple visited Ayres Rock, Alice Spring and other dazzling Aussie spots.

New Zealand

The future king braves the rain in New Zealand

If you’re in Australia already, you might as well hop on a plane and visit New Zealand, right? A rather soggy trip to New Zealand ensured that Charles’ visit there was one to remember. The royal was snapped as he stepped off a boat in Christchurch in a bright orange waterproof having been drenched by the rain.

India

King Charles visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra

Following in the footsteps of his ancestors and a swathe of gap year kids, King Charles soaked up the rich Indian culture when he journeyed to the beautiful country in 1980. His itinerary included tasting local delicacies, sipping on coconuts, playing polo, and of course, visiting the epic Taj Mahal in Agra.

DISCOVER: 14 times the royals posed in front of world landmarks: Princess Kate, Princess Diana & more 

Nepal

King Charles enjoying a trek in Nepal

Men who gym are all the rage, but men who hike? Now that’s another level. King Charles commenced on a three-day trek in the foothills of The Himalayas in Nepal, impressing royal fans with his penchant for adventure. With a pair of binoculars strapped around his neck and decked in khaki, the royal posed for some candid photos among the magnificent mountainscape.

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