Royal chef shares late Queen's strict meal rules and why she often ate alone
Former royal chef Darren McGrady spent 15 years cooking for the British royal family - serving the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry some of his finest dishes
A former royal chef who cooked for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has revealed the strict meal times the household followed for different family members.
According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the daily dining schedule in the late monarch's household was strictly regimented, with each member of the family often eating separately according to their own habits and tastes.
"Meal times were fixed," the chef revealed. "The Queen was very strict and disciplined. Contrary to popular belief, she never called for food at odd hours. They had set meals, and if they wanted something in between, there was always fruit or chocolates in their rooms."
Breakfast for the late Queen was served at 9am sharp - and surprisingly, it was a modest 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.'
Her husband, Prince Philip, had different preferences and often dined separately. 'Prince Philip, on the other hand, enjoyed more adventurous breakfasts like deviled kidneys,' the chef said.
Lunch was always at 1pm, while dinner was served promptly at 8:15pm, moved to 8:30pm only if the Queen Mother was present. Though the timing was fixed, the food was often traditional and comforting rather than lavish.
'We didn't do anything over-the-top extravagant. The Queen was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing," the chef explained. "Ingredients like lobster, caviar, and foie gras were reserved for state banquets. On normal days, she was perfectly happy with comfort food, so we cooked meals like cottage pie."
Each member of the family, the chef noted, had their own culinary preferences. "Each royal had their favourites. For the Queen, it always came back to indigenous produce - partridge or venison from Sandringham, grouse from Balmoral.
"The had a sweet tooth and loved dark chocolate, especially anything over 60 percent cocoa. Any dessert with chocolate on the menu was sure to be chosen.'
The then-Prince Charles, now King, stood out for his passion for organic and Mediterranean foods. "Charles was the most adventurous. He brought organic food into the royal kitchens long before it became mainstream," the chef said.
"He'd bring his own hampers with home-grown fruits and vegetables, especially at Sandringham... He also enjoyed foraging for wild mushrooms which he would bring to the kitchens for us to use in meals."
Despite the modern fascination with dietary requirements, the royal table rarely accommodated special requests.
'During my 11 years with the Queen, we didn't have a single vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest,' the chef revealed. '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.'
And while garlic wasn't outright banned, it was subtly left out of the late monarch's meals. 'There weren't banned foods, but the Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial,' the chef said. 'Prince Philip, however, loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties.'
The younger royals had a more relaxed approach. Prince William and Prince Harry were fond of comfort food, and occasionally indulged in fast food.
'Wills and Harry loved cottage pie, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, potato wedges, macaroni cheese,' the chef recalled.
'One lunchtime, the Princess came in and said, 'Cancel lunch today. I'm taking them out.' I asked, 'Where are you going?' and she said, 'McDonald's.' I said, 'I can do burgers better than McDonald's,' and she said, 'I know that Darren, but they want the toys in the Happy Meal.''
For royal events such as state banquets, the chefs prepared more extravagant dishes. 'A state visit takes a lot of planning,' the chef explained. 'We'd get likes, dislikes, and dietary restrictions from the Foreign Office, then plan four menus and send them to the Queen - she'd choose one.'
The Queen's taste remained consistent even for formal occasions. 'Dessert was often a bombe glacée - an ice cream dish. The Queen loved ice cream or chocolate desserts,' he added.
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