The King is the father of the princesses. He is not very involved in the girls' lives while their mother is alive. He goes away to war right after his wife dies. When he returns to the palace after the war, he forms a relationship with his daughters that he has never had before.
The King prefers regiment and order. Because of this, the princesses are named in alphabetical order. Azalea being the first, Bramble the second, Clover the third, and so and so forth. The King also prefers that he and his daughters take meals at the same time each day and all together.