King Charles has long linked his public role to conservation, but one of his most distinctive passions is his affection for red squirrels. The British monarch recently visited the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Biotech Campus in York, where researchers are working on ways to reduce grey squirrel numbers and protect the endangered native species. According to Hello!, Charles was "very interested" in a plan involving hazelnut paste mixed with contraceptives and delivered through weighted feeders designed to target heavier grey squirrels.
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King Charles Backed Red Squirrel Survival Trust in 2009
His support for the species is not new. In 2009, Charles became patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, a charity focused on protecting red squirrels across the UK. More than a decade later, he marked Red Squirrel Appreciation Day with a personal message to volunteers working on the issue. "I am so very grateful to all of you, as volunteers, for the crucial role you play in this ongoing battle to protect and restore a precious part of our natural heritage," said King Charles. The note underlined how closely he connects wildlife protection with national heritage.
The monarch’s affection is also deeply personal. At Birkhall, his Scottish residence, red squirrels are not just part of the landscape outside. Charles has spoken about them wandering into the house and searching for nuts left in jacket pockets. He described them as "charming and intelligent creatures" in an earlier message of support, and his stories from Scotland paint a vivid picture of daily encounters. The image is unusually domestic for a head of state: squirrels darting through rooms, circling furniture, and turning a royal home into something close to a woodland refuge.
Prince William Shared Childhood View of His Father’s Habit
Prince William has also spoken about his father’s attachment to the animals, offering one of the clearest glimpses into family life in Scotland. During an interview with Country Life in 2018, the Prince of Wales said Charles was "completely infatuated by the red squirrels that live around the estate in Scotland—to the extent that he's given them names and is allowing them into the house." The comment added warmth to Charles’s public image and suggested that his environmental interests were never limited to speeches, patronages, or official visits.
Royal Conservation Values Extend to the Next Generation
That same environmental focus has shaped the wider royal family. In 2014, Charles visited Glendelvine Squirrel Sanctuary in Scotland and was given a large cuddly red squirrel for Prince George’s first birthday. The gesture tied his personal enthusiasm to family tradition. William has since made clear that his father’s commitment to nature influenced his own approach to parenting and public work. Charles’s conservation record has even appeared in currency design, with the Royal Mint issuing a UK 2p coin featuring a red squirrel as part of a collection centered on endangered British wildlife.
