Royal cook sells off notes written by the princess

PRINCE CHARLES'S "picky" culinary requests and the late Princess Diana's quirky sense of humour were revealed today by a royal chef.

Charles demanded aides fly pheasants from the Queen's Sandringham estate halfway round the world to serve at banquets and insisted his tea-time eggs were boiled for exactly four minutes.

Mervyn Wycherley, who was personal chef to Charles and Diana for 13 years, spoke publicly for the first time about working for them as he prepared to auction mementoes of his service.

He told how Diana would raid the kitchen fridge at Kensington Palace, once surprising workmen when she appeared in a dressing gown and tiara.

The princess also delighted in sending saucy cards to her staff including one to Mr Wycherley depicting 24 coloured condoms hanging from a washing line. It contained the message: "Dear Mervyn, wishing you a very happy birthday, with much love from Diana, X." It is expected to sell for £100 to £150.

Mr Wycherley, 59, cooked for Charles and Diana during their Mediterranean honeymoon in 1981 and continued to work for the princess at Kensington Palace after they separated in 1992.

Diana signed off a note praising Mr Wycherley for their honeymoon feasts with the words: "With endless gratitude from a couple of overweight Wales's. Diana." It is estimated to fetch £1,500.

In other notes she requested a bacon sandwich as a "much needed rest from our friend the tomato" and asked if "the lobster souffle could hold a candle or two ... cakes are obviously out!!" Letters, including a cheeky birthday card to Mr Wycherley from young princes William and Harry, will go under the hammer at Reeman Dansie auctioneers in Colchester on 24 November. The card from the princes read: "Of all the people I have ever met.... you're the weirdest. Happy birthday." They wrote "Dear Mervie" at the top and carefully signed their names.

Mr Wycherley described the moment Diana shocked workmen by appearing in the kitchen in her dressing gown and jewels. "We had a couple of engineers in the kitchen, it was the state opening of Parliament that day and Diana's hairdresser Sam McKnight had already weaved a tiara into her hair.

"She swept into the kitchen wearing just her dressing gown and the tiara and came out laughing her socks off saying, 'You do realise they're going to leave KP thinking I always wear a tiara - even when I'm in my dressing gown!"

Mr Wycherley, who now runs his own London-based company, Retro Catering, said Charles could be very picky.

The prince demanded crumpets and eggs cooked exactly to his liking. "His eggs had to be boiled for exactly four minutes," Mr Wycherley said. "His detectives radioed his ETA ahead, so I always kept three pans boiling - just to be safe. I've got nothing but wonderful memories of working for the prince and princess."