Intriguing details of what it’s like to be a member of a royal family educate and entertain us. Since we all can’t be royal, we can sit back and watch the real-life examples that exist in our time.
One of the world’s most interesting families is the British monarchy. Queen Elizabeth, her son Prince Charles, and her grandchildren have been regular subjects of scrutiny and interest over the past few years. When an insider reveals some behind-the-scenes knowledge, attention from the public is heightened.
Today, we have such insider info from one of the palace’s former chefs, Darren McGrady. For fifteen years, he worked as a royal chef and prepared meals for the Queen as well as Princess Diana and her children. Until the princess’s death in 1997, he was responsible for knowing their eating habits.
If you are under the impression that lobster tails and caviar are the norm, then you’ll be in for a surprise. Harper’s Bazaar put together this list of nine things they do for meals. Here’s a rundown of the royal family’s dining practices:
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No Wait Time
We can all relate to having that one person in the family who’s always late. In the British royal family, that person was the Queen Mother, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. To get her to show up for dinner on time, they’d trick her and tell her it was being served at 8:15 p.m., thus ensuring she would be there at the true time of 8:30 p.m.
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Nothing Red
That was the rule for Princess Diana, except for the occasional piece of lamb when guests were visiting. Following a battle with bulimia, she began to eat healthy and favored foods like poached chicken and vegetables. She was also known to shun carbs and lean towards vegetarian meals.
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Kids Were Kids
When the princes were little, like most kids, they loved fast food. Sometimes, Princess Diana would take Princes William and Harry out to McDonald’s to indulge in a Happy Meal. They were also fond of pizza and cakes. Now we have to wonder if Prince William’s children have ever been to Mickey D’s.
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Chocolate is In
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Count Queen Elizabeth among its fans. The Queen loves chocolate for snacking or dessert, but has a special affinity for dark chocolate. The higher the cacao percentage, the better.
If you want to eat chocolate like a queen, try getting your hands on Bendicks Bittermints. At 95% cacao, they are the Queen’s favorite.
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Simple Breakfast
You won’t find endless stacks of pancakes on the Queen’s breakfast table, for she prefers something much simpler: Kellogg’s cereal. She fixes it herself too!
To learn more about how the royals roll at mealtime, click on this video from Harper’s Bazaar. Darren’s book, Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen, offers up anecdotes, stories, and food galore from his time with the family.
Though much of what they eat is relatable to us common folk, there are many royal rules in place for when dining outside of the palace. We’re not sure if you’d want to adhere to those.
What do you think of the royal family’s eating habits? Have you ever wondered about Princess Di’s favorite foods? Whose menu choices would you prefer?