Prince Charles' bath ban

Britain's Prince Charles has urged the public to stop having baths and take five minute showers instead.

Britain's Prince Charles has called on the public to stop taking baths.

The 61-year-old royal - who is well-known for his environmental advocacy - is urging British families to take short, five minute showers in a bid to protect the environment.

The heir to the throne's instruction was part of 20 lifestyle changes listed in his new green campaign, Start.

His campaign message says: "Snub the tub. If everybody in a four-person family replaced one bath a week with a five-minute shower, you could save between £5 and £15 per year off your energy bill."

But critics say he should extend his washing advice to the royal family, as his father the Duke of Edinburgh is known to enjoy a bath.

The queen's husband, 89, badly bruised his eye after catching it with his thumb after slipping in the tub in 2005 while Charles' former sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson also admitted to taking ice-cold baths to alleviate her "dark moods".

Meanwhile, Prince Charles is taking his green message across Britain in an eco-friendly tour.

The royal is to promote his new project Start - which campaigns for "sustainable living - in a five-day tour where he will meet ethical fashion designers, guerilla gardeners and eco-obsessed pensioners, as well as launching his own green initiatives.