'The Crown' Gets King Charles's Love for Muesli Right

Part two of The Crown season six begins in a very particular way: a somber Prince William (Ed McVey), mourning the recent loss of his mother, Princess Diana, listens to "My Favourite Game" by the Cardigans. Soon, it's dead silent, with only the clinking of spoons as noise as he eats breakfast with his father, Prince Charles (Dominic West).

"Would you like some of this muesli?" Charles asks his son. "It's delicious." William shakes his head, and Charles keeps eating.

It's a small detail, but one that speaks to the commitment of The Crown and creator Peter Morgan to get the quirks of the British royals right. Because yes, King Charles really eats muesli every day for breakfast.

"He normally starts the day with some fruit for breakfast, often some plums from the garden that have been lightly poached. A little juice and some muesli to go with it," former royal chef Darren McGrady told Delish. Another royal chef, Graham Newbould, explained, "Wherever the Prince goes in the world, the breakfast box goes with him. He has six different types of honey, some special mueslis, his dried fruit and anything that's a bit special that he is a bit fussy about."

The opening scene of episode five is a favorite of actor Dominic West. "I love that bit," West tells Town & Country. "I bet Peter was drawing on his own experience with his sons, and I've certainly felt it with mine, where that time when everything you do as a dad irritates them. What you're listening to on the radio, the way you're crunching that muesli. The way your habits become, having been something that you worship in your father, become the thing you detest. I suppose that's part of adolescence, or growing up."

Other of West's favorite quirks about Charles? He explains, "You never know what's true, but I remember finding it quite odd whenever he has dinner, he's got a notepad. So when he's talking to someone, he'll take notes. He's a hugely conscientious working Prince and he would take notes."

West adds, "And then also things like he has his own teacup and he has his own wherever he goes. All that stuff is hilarious and wonderful for an actor because if he was a little laissez-faire, or a little less idiosyncratic and peculiar, then there'd be less to go on, really."

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