Butlin's invites King Charles after friend reveals his holiday regret

King Charles has long wished he had been taken on a Butlin's holiday as a child, according to a friend quoted in the press, and the holiday company has responded by inviting him and his family to one of its resorts. The Independent and Metro both reported the story, which emerged as the King turned 78 on Saturday.

The remarks were attributed to a friend of the King who spoke to The Times, according to the Independent. Metro attributes them to the Sunday Times. Metro describes the account as reported rather than confirmed.

What the King's friend says

The friend said the story is one the King has told several times, usually when the conversation turns to things he regrets not having done. According to the friend, Charles asked the late Queen and Prince Philip many times whether he and his younger sister, Princess Anne, could spend a holiday at Butlin's. The Queen, the friend said, always gave the same answer: "I don't quite think we will be able to manage that."

The Independent reported that the royal family instead holidayed at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. The friend said the King laughs about how disappointed he was that the plan never came off, and that he always wanted to go.

Butlin's responds

A Butlin's spokesperson told the newspaper the company wished the King a happy birthday and, as it marks its 90th year, would like to help him make a childhood wish come true. The spokesperson noted that his late mother visited Butlin's in 1963 and said the company would be delighted to invite the King and his family to one of its resorts.

The chain also posted on X, according to the Independent, saying: "It's never too late!"

The royal family's history with Butlin's, step by step

The Second World War: Prince Philip was billeted at a Butlin's camp when it had been taken over by the Navy and renamed HMS Glendower, the Independent reported.
1963: The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Butlin's camp in Pwllheli, Wales, but did not bring any of their children.
The 1990s: Prince Edward went to the Butlin's holiday camp in Skegness.
2012: Princess Anne visited the Butlin's resort in Minehead, Somerset, to attend a Carers' Respite Day.
October 2018: Prince Harry joked about taking Meghan to the Bognor Regis camp in West Sussex after mistaking it for a circus during a visit to Chichester University. Butlin's said at the time that it would love to welcome the couple to a resort.

What this means for holidaymakers

Nothing changes for guests at the moment. No visit has been announced. The offer is a public gesture from the company during its 90th-year celebrations.

Metro reports that there are currently three Butlin's resorts in the UK: Minehead in Somerset, Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Skegness in Lincolnshire. Butlin's has not said which resort it has in mind for the King. The earlier royal visits listed above show that members of the family have gone to the resorts before, though the King himself, according to his friend, has never done so.

What happens next

For now the story rests on the friend's account and Butlin's public invitation. Whether the King and his family will take up the offer has not been reported.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent, Metro

Cover photo: Hayden Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped

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