LONDON - Prince Charles doesn't order seven boiled eggs for breakfast in order to choose the one he likes best, his office said in a statement designed to dispel myths about the heir to the British throne.
The claim was made by BBC Television presenter Jeremy Paxman in a 2006 book. The website of the Prince of Wales, as Charles is officially known, was updated Tuesday to dismiss that assertion and other commonly held views about the prince and his family.
"Does the Prince of Wales have seven boiled eggs cooked for his breakfast but only eat one, as claimed in Jeremy Paxman's book 'On Monarchy?' " reads one entry on the website. "No, he doesn't and never has done, at breakfast or any other time."
As Britain's monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, 86, celebrated 60 years on the throne this year, courtiers are gradually managing the process of succession. The prince will celebrate his 64th birthday today.
Charles has a reputation for eccentricity. In 1994 he was mocked in the press for revealing he talks to plants. He's been a vocal critic of some modern architecture, including calling an extension of the National Gallery in London a "monstrous carbuncle."
He criticized traditional science in a 1996 speech in which he said it had assumed a "tyranny" over "our understanding of the world."
Tuesday's statement on the prince's website also explains why, despite his environmental interests, the prince is driven in a Bentley and owns a classic Aston Martin that his son Prince William used on his wedding day last year.
"The prince does not own or choose to drive around in a Bentley," it says. "The car is required for some engagements for security reasons" and is owned by London's Metropolitan Police. It points out that the prince's cars have been converted to run on biodiesel or bioethanol to reduce emissions.
The website also denies that Charles advocates dangerous and untested medical therapies, saying that he favors a "wider, preventative approach to health care"
It also poses the question: "Does he prince dislike all modern architecture?" It answers: "No. The prince has been the patron of several contemporary architects, and has provided training to young architects through his charity, the Prince's Foundation for Building Community."
The website is www.princeofwales.gov.uk/faqs
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