While the British Royal Family is pretty different from the average family, there is one big thing that we all have in common. We all need to sleep. This need is likely amplified for the Royal Family, given the amount of commitments they have around the globe.
As it turns out, King Charles has some pretty interesting sleep habits that you may or may not identify with. According to an interview with Anne Elliot, sister to Queen Camilla, for the book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, the king prefers not to sleep with duvet covers. The revelation comes from an interview that Elliot gave after having helped with the refurbishment of several private royal residences across the UK. (1)
While this sleep habit might not seem super strange to Americans, using duvet covers is pretty standard for people in Europe. And, as it turns out, there might even be some real sleep benefits to King Charles’ sleeping habits. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
How Does King Charles Like to Sleep?
Allegedly the monarch prefers to sleep without a duvet, which is similar to the American comforter. Duvets are usually filled with either synthetic material or down feathers. Sometimes, duvets can have covers, which makes them a bit warmer in the winter.
Additionally Elliot revealed that the King also likes his space to be super cold. Sleeping in a cold room is actually super beneficial for your sleep, since the cooler temperatures can signal to your body that it’s time to go to sleep (and stay asleep). (1) So maybe King Charles’ duvet preference simply comes down to the monarch wanting to sleep cold.
Granted, we don’t (and probably won’t) really know the ins and outs of King Charles’ sleep preferences and routines, since the monarch hasn’t officially commented on his duvet preferences.
Sleeping With Duvets: United States vs. United Kingdom
It’s no secret that people in the United States and the United Kingdom sleep a bit differently from each other. For example, the US and the UK have completely different sizes and feels of mattresses.
When it comes to selecting bedding, Americans and Brits still have some pretty different preferences. A Reddit post titled, “Why do Americans make their beds the way they do?” on the subreddit r/Answers gives a pretty funny anecdotal look into the differences between how Americans and Brits set up their beds for sleep.
One user commented that in the UK people usually sleep with “a bottom sheet, fitted to the mattress, and then a single duvet in a dedicated, enclosed cover.” As an American myself, I can speak to some of the differences between US and UK beds. While most Americans do use a fitted sheet, we also tend to sleep with another thin flat sheet over top of the fitted sheet. Some people will use a comforter over the top sheet, or they will simply layer blankets or quilts over the top sheet.
Personally, I sleep with a fitted sheet on my mattress, a top sheet, and a duvet with a cover on it. However, most of my family and my partner sleep with comforters or blankets piled on top of one another in lieu of a duvet.
Sleep Habits of Other World Leaders
Several American presidents have had some pretty interesting sleep and wake-up routines. For instance, Abraham Lincoln was a known insomniac who would take late night walks when he couldn’t fall asleep. More recently, former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump were known for being
It was rumored that President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy were quasi-sleep divorced; sleeping on separate mattresses in the same room to account for their differences in mattress preferences.
Current President Joe Biden has recently made sleep health a priority during his presidency, telling his team not to schedule any engagements past 8:00 PM so he can get his rest in. (2)
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Sources
- Jackson, Matt. “King Charles very unusual sleeping habit exposed by Queen Camilla’s sister”. Express. August 7, 2024. https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1933138/king-charless-unusual-sleeping-habits
- Dovere, Edward-Isaac. “Biden tells Democratic governors he needs more sleep and plans to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m.” CNN. July 4, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/04/politics/biden-governors-sleep/index.html