King Charles travels with personal blood supply on doctor's orders

Whenever King Charles travels for official engagements and tours, he carries an unusual item—on his doctor's orders.

Later this month, King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to embark on a journey to Australia and Samoa. Alongside his personal belongings, the King will bring a surprising essential—a supply of blood. He is also always accompanied by a doctor.

In 2016, the Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner reported that the late Queen would also travel with a Royal Navy doctor, who would research local hospitals whenever she embarked on international tours.

"In countries where a reliable blood supply is questionable, the Queen and the Prince of Wales both travel with their own personal packs of blood following in their convoy wherever they go," he added. 

"Their doctor is never more than a few paces away, carrying a bulky medical bag containing a mobile defibrillator and all manner of emergency medicine."

While the King's travel list is extensive, there is one thing he doesn't have to worry about packing - and that's his passport. 

According to the royal family's website , which has yet to be updated in full following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the British monarch does not need a passport for a simple reason - the documents are issued in their name.

"When travelling overseas, The Queen does not require a British passport," it explains. "As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one. All other members of the Royal Family, including The Duke of Edinburgh [then Prince Philip ] and The Prince of Wales [then Prince Charles], have passports."

It means that although Queen Elizabeth II travelled over one million miles and visited over 100 countries during her record-breaking reign, she never brought along the identification document. 

In 2023, the first passports bearing King Charles's name were issued following the death of his mother in September 2022. Home Secretary Suella Braverman commented on the significance of the change in a statement confirming the news.

"For 70 years, Her Majesty has appeared on British passports and many of us will not remember a time when she did not feature. Today marks a significant moment in U.K. history, as the first British passports since 1952 start featuring the title of His Majesty the King," Braverman said.

The new navy passports are stamped with the Royal Arms just as before, but language on the first page has been tweaked from 'Her Majesty' to 'His Majesty'.

"His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary," it states.