A former personal chef to Prince Charles has revealed that Palace officials were so paranoid he would be poisoned, a dedicated secret services agent was employed just to watch him in the kitchen.
Michelin Star chef Atul Kochhar told how a personal minder watched his every move at close quarters while he prepared his signature Indian dishes for the heir apparent.
Atul, 45, made the revelation behind the scenes of C4's Weekend Kitchen yesterday while chatting with show hosts Lisa Snowdon and Steve Jones.
A source told how he described Prince Charles as a “gentleman” to work for but the job was made stressful by the agent whose job it was to make sure he wasn't poisoned.
He said: “Prince Charles has never complained, in fact he is a gentleman and always eats everything he is served and says thank you to you when you meet him, he was very gracious and complimented me.
“But actually when you are cooking there is a secret service person watching you at all times which is a really off-putting.”Atul, who owns award-winning London restaurant Benares also told how the King in waiting loves his curries spicy.
When asked by Lisa whether he likes it “spicy hot”, Atul admitted that the Prince complimented even his spiciest dishes.
The source added: “Atul has always found it a real honour to cook for royalty but it just shows how much pressure there is on the catering staff not only to provide good food, but to make sure he doesn't get ill.
“It sounds like something out of medieval times when food tasters were employed to check for deadly substances before royalty could touch it.”
The news comes after it was revealed in July that Russian president Vladmir Putin still has all of his meals prepared and tasted not by a chef but by a member of his secret service.
See Prince Charles attending the Duchess of Devonshire's funeral last month in the clip below.
