King Charles caused ‘hoo-ha’ with ‘strict’ instruction to staff member | Royal | News
The unique Aston is Charles’ pride and joy (Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
His Majesty the King has long been known for his keen interest in sustainability and the environment. He has repeatedly expressed his belief that everyone has a role to play in tackling the most complex sustainability challenges facing our world. This includes car fanatics. One of Her Majesty’s other great passions is the one-of-a-kind Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante. The King’s long-standing commitment to environmental issues inspired a unique modification to the car, years before environmentalism became mainstream.
The desirable British supercar really does run on “cheese and wine”. “I have electric cars now but it’s very difficult. My old Aston Martin, which I’ve had for 51 years, runs on – can you believe it – excess British white wine and whey from the cheese process,” he told the BBC in 2021. The bioethanol is produced by a Gloucestershire-based company called Green Fuels, which is working with Aston Martin heritage specialist RS Williams Ltd to convert the King’s DB6 to run on sustainable waste.
The car was actually a 21st birthday present (Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
But the King is intensely protective of the unique engine that has led to something of a “hoo-ha” in the past, according to former royal steward Grant Harrold.
speaking on behalf of Select Car RentalGrant declared that Her Majesty would not even allow her sons, William and Harry, to drive the one-time car.
Grant said of the royal cars: “The King famously got his 21st birthday present, an Aston Martin. This is an Aston Martin DB6 MkII Volante in Seychelles Blue.”
“But what’s interesting is that he changed it to work with wine and cheese in 2008. 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 make fun of his father about it a lot, in a loving way of course, but it’s completely coincidental.”
He only lent the car once (Image: Getty Images)
“But he’s so environmentally conscious,” Grant added, “and he was long before it became mainstream. He was always looking for ways to protect the environment; it’s something he’s very passionate about.”
But the King’s commitment to the environment was seen by some as merely cosmetic. Greg Archer, UK director of European clean transport campaign group T&E, told The Guardian: “Prince Charles’ interesting solution to decarbonise his Aston Martin using a highly bioethanol blend made from cheese and wine waste should not be confused with a serious solution to decarbonise vehicles.
“On a large scale, biofuels do more harm than good,” Archer added, “causing deforestation and changes in land use, exacerbating the climate crisis.”
Dr Chris Malins, a consultant on alternative fuel policy and sustainability, added that Charles’s Aston Martin was a “boutique” example and the modification would not really work on a wider scale.
The car will remain completely one-off (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Still, Grant says the King was attached to his Aston: “He was very, very protective of that car. He would never let anyone else drive it. It was a big problem because I remember both William and Harry wanted to drive it but he wouldn’t let them. He let William and Kate borrow it for their wedding day and that was a big deal.”
“I remember one time one of the chefs had to drive him back from the airport, which was a great honour, but caused a huge fuss. “I remember him giving him strict instructions about how slowly he should drive and what he should do.
“He was driving around Tetbury with the roof down. The faces on people as he passed were priceless. I remember one time this woman almost pulled her husband over when she caught him because she was so surprised to see him driving normally. Of course she would always give a little wave.”
