Queen Elizabeth II 'banned' one popular ingredient in royal family kitchens
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Despite the opulence of their dining settings, the culinary preferences of the royal family, particularly those of Queen Elizabeth II, were surprisingly specific and somewhat modest.
A former Royal chef who spent over ten years preparing meals for the late monarch and her family revealed that certain pungent ingredients were strictly off-limits.
"The Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial," shared ex-royal chef Darren McGrady in a chat with Heart Bingo. "So we didn't use garlic in her meals."
READ MORE - Edinburgh dad's new career after going viral on Facebook 'by chance'
READ MORE - The Queen's steadfast 'antisocial' breakfast habit she refused to change
While not an official royal decree, it was treated as such, ruling out dishes like garlic bread or spicy curries from Her Majesty's menu.
However, this aversion to garlic wasn't a universal sentiment within the palace walls. "Prince Philip, however, loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties," McGrady added, hinting at a divergence in royal culinary tastes.
Despite presiding over a vast empire, the Queen's palate was notably unpretentious. "She was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing," McGrady noted, reports the Mirror.
Luxurious items like lobster, foie gras, and caviar were reserved solely for state banquets. On ordinary days, the Queen was content with simple, homely fare.
"We cooked meals like cottage pie," he said.
Breakfast was indeed a rather simple affair. "The Queen's breakfast was at 9am, served in her room. She'd help herself to cereal from a Tupperware container - especially Special K - even though there were 20 chefs available to cook anything," the chef reminisced.
Yet, when it came to chocolate, the Queen's self-control wavered.
"She loved dark chocolate, especially anything over 60 percent cocoa. Any dessert with chocolate on the menu was sure to be chosen," the chef divulged.
Her birthday indulgence was a sumptuous chocolate ganache, a legacy from Queen Victoria's chef—a penchant apparently passed to Prince William.
"When I worked for the Queen, William loved dark chocolate and asked for chocolate ice cream."
Despite rumours, the Queen didn't shun all robust flavours.
"The idea that the Queen didn't eat seafood while traveling isn't true - we regularly cooked scallops and shrimp for her," the chef clarified.
Each member of the Royal Family had distinct palate preferences. "Prince Charles, now King Charles, was the most adventurous. He brought organic food into the royal kitchens long before it became mainstream," the chef remembered.
His Highness's taste extended to Mediterranean and Italian dishes and he would even gather wild mushrooms from Sandringham for the kitchen staff to prepare.
But Royal hospitality had its limits; bespoke dishes for visitors simply did not happen.
During his remarkable 11-year tenure serving the Queen, a Royal chef revealed that there was never a vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest at the table. "If you dined with the Queen, you ate what the Queen ate. If you didn't like it, you'd stop for a McDonald's on the way home,' he noted.
Interestingly, even the royals themselves have been known to indulge in fast food delights. Recalling a memorable incident with Princess Diana, the chef shared that she once changed plans for Princes William and Harry, opting for a more casual dining experience by saying: "I'm taking them out."
When questioned about the destination, her response was simple: "McDonald's."
As the chef offered to prepare homemade burgers, protesting, "I can do burgers better than McDonald's," Diana delivered the charming retort, "I know that Darren, but they want the toys in the Happy Meal."
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