But, according to the British newspaper the Daily Mail, perhaps his most bizarre plan for getting rid of the animals was the one brought to light during his sister Princess Anne’s visit to Christchurch last week.
During her visit it was revealed by the brand’s chief executive Peri Drysdale that King Charles had sought out the company – famous for turning possum fur into beautiful garments – to trial making fabric out of squirrel fur.
According to the Daily Mail, back in 2014 the then Prince of Wales was busy backing the British Government’s plans to cull grey squirrels, which were introduced in Victorian times and have done irrevocable damage to the country’s native red squirrel population and its flora and fauna.
It was at this time he reached out to Untouched World, impressed by the company’s ability to turn its own country’s pest into luxury fabric, to see if the same could be done with the grey squirrel.
Following Princess Anne’s tour of the Christchurch-based fashion house, Drysdale told Stuff the company conducted research for the King and “tested the material that he sent to us ... ”
She said the findings were that grey squirrel fur is “too short” to produce fabric from. However, she said the team was “impressed by his interest” and thrilled to receive a personal letter of thanks for their efforts.
The wider royal family has previously been impressed by Untouched World’s work.
According to the Daily Mail the late Queen Elizabeth is said to have made a substantial order in the mid-90s after seeing garments the brand made for a 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.