King Charles reportedly asked soldiers at Clarence House to carry out duties at a “lower volume” as their patrols disturbed his morning phone calls

(Image credit: HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images/Future)

published 19 March 2023

King Charles reportedly asked the soldiers at his Clarence House residence to be quiet after the raised voices and loud commands during their morning drills disrupted his morning phone calls.

Soldiers at Clarence House have reportedly been asked to carry out their morning drills at a 'lower volume' after their raised voices and loud commands disturbed King Charles's phone calls.
Royal sources have said that the King’s complaint was relayed “gently and politely.”
In other royal news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle given THIS advice from Oprah Winfrey over attending King Charles’ Coronation.

An unexpected disruption to the job, King Charles has reportedly had to ask the soldiers at Clarence House to be quiet as their morning drills have been disrupting his important morning phone calls.

The news of the 74-year-old monarch's request comes from a leaked memo from King Charles’ equerry’s office obtained by The Sun. The note reportedly praised the guard's vitality but complained that their raised voices and loud commands were simply too noisy and distracting him from his state business.

“His Majesty remarked the other day how loud the outgoing sentries were at St James’s Palace in the morning,” the note reportedly said. “Full marks for vigour and volume, but please could you pass down to those on guard that Clarence House is a residence and so some volume control would be very much appreciated by those inside!”

According to royal sources quoted in The Daily Mail, the King’s complaint was relayed “gently and politely” with the troops asked to carry out their duties at a “slightly lower volume.”

The publication reports that after an email was sent around the Army’s Household Division telling them that the King had remarked on how loud they were, an army officer told the guard commanders, “Please could you pass onto your troops that when posting sentries first thing in the morning at St James’s Palace that they should do so at a slightly lower volume.”

While he clearly doesn't enjoy this disruption, there is one sound the King allows before he begins his daily tasks in the morning. In a tradition dating back to Queen Victoria, a piper plays under his window at 9am each day, acting as a gentle and whimsical wake-up call for the King.

The position even has its own rather official sounding title, 'His Majesty’s Pipe Major.' The post was created by Queen Victoria in 1843 and has been enjoyed by royals ever since. Queen Elizabeth reportedly enjoyed the morning alarm and Charles has chosen to keep up the tradition.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.