King Charles caused a ‘big hoo-ha’ after issuing ‘strict’ instruction to staff member
His Majesty the King is devoted to his one-of-a-kind Aston Martin, and he made quite a fuss on the rare occasion that someone else got to driv eit
His Majesty the King has long been known for his keen interest in sustainability and the environment. He has more than once expressed his firm belief that everyone has a role to play in tackling even the most complex sustainability challenges facing our world. And that includes car fanatics. One of His Majesty’s other great passions is his one-of-a-kind Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante. The King’s long-standing commitment to environmental causes inspired a unique modification to the car years before environmentalism became mainstream.
The desirable British supercar really does run on “cheese and wine”. He told the BBC in 2021: “I’ve got electric cars now but it’s been so difficult. “My old Aston Martin, which I’ve had for 51 years, runs on – can you believe this – surplus English white wine, and whey from the cheese process.” The bioethanol is produced by a Gloucestershire-based company called Green Fuels, which worked with Aston Martin heritage specialist RS Williams Ltd to convert the King’s DB6 to run on sustainable waste.
But the King is intensely protective of the unique motor, which has led to something of a “hoo-ha” in the past, according to former royal butler Grant Harrold.
Speaking on behalf of Select Car Leasing, Grant explained that His Majesty would not even let his sons William and Harry drive the one-off car.
Discussing royal cars, Grant revealed: “The King famously has his Aston Martin, which was a 21st birthday present. It’s an Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante in Seychelles Blue.
“But the interesting thing about it is that he had it modified in 2008 so it runs on wine and cheese. We couldn’t believe it when we found out, we used to joke about it a lot in the staff room. Prince William used to mock his dad for it a lot, in a loving way of course, but it’s just such a random thing to do."
“But he’s so conscious of the environment,” Grant added, “and was long before it became mainstream. He was always looking for ways he could protect the environment; it’s something he’s so passionate about.”
The King’s commitment to the environment has been seen as mere lip service by some, though. Greg Archer, UK director of T&E, a European clean transport campaign group, told The Guardian: “Prince Charles’s quaint solution to decarbonise his Aston Martin using a high blend of bioethanol made from cheese and wine wastes should not be mistaken for a serious solution to decarbonise vehicles.
“On a large scale, biofuels do more harm than good,” Archer added, “driving deforestation and land use change that worsens the climate crisis.”
Dr Chris Malins, a consultant on alternative fuels policy and sustainability, added that Charles’s Aston Martin is a “boutique” case and the modification could not really work on a wider scale.
Nevertheless, Grant says the King is devoted to his Aston: “He’s very, very protective of that car. He never let anyone else drive it. It was a big issue as I remember both William and Harry wanting to drive it, but he wouldn’t let them. He let William and Kate borrow it on their wedding day, and that was a big deal.
“I remember on one occasion when one of the chefs had to drive it back from the airport and it was a massive honour, but it caused a big hoo-ha. I remember him giving him strict instructions about how slow to drive it and what to do.
“He used to drive it around Tetbury with the roof down. People’s faces when he went past were just priceless. I remember once this woman almost pulled her husband over when she grabbed him because she was so shocked to just see him driving normally. Of course he would always give a little wave.”
