When it comes to eating habits, you probably expect the royal family to be pretty hoity-toity. They've certainly got access to more than most, and so naturally, they indulge.
It's not all fancy caviar and fine champagne, however. The royal family has surprisingly normal palates and habits when their tummies grumble. They have things they like and things they don't, and they all have to put both of those aside to abide by Queen Elizabeth's preferences.
The royals aren't limited by their own culinary skills. The royals also have a kitchen full of staff ready to whip up anything they might have a craving for. That doesn't mean members of the royal family aren't into cooking, though. You'd be surprised which royals like to roll up their own sleeves in the kitchen — and what ingredient you will absolutely never find served in a royal dish.
Eating like a royal is a fascinating process. Sure, many of their meals are eaten as swanky formal events, but every now and then, they do have to eat meals at home. It's difficult to imagine the royal family sitting down for a small meal, but when they do, they each have particular things they like. All personal preferences are out the window when it comes time to dine with the Queen, however. Let's look at some of the more interesting royal eating habits.
1. The Queen is all about the leftovers.
She is so against wasting any leftovers that she makes sure to have the kitchen staff reuse any uneaten servings for other meals rather than throwing them out.
According to former chef Darren McGrady, The Queen once even sent back a lemon garnish because she thought it was a waste of perfectly good fruit that should be used as more than decoration.
2. Prince Philip enjoys dinner on the go.
Darren also described the Duke of Edinburgh as a "foodie" who enjoys whipping up hearty meals like venison tenderloin or grilling up barbecue when the weather is nice. He's also always prepared to make something on the go with his handy electric frying pan packed up for every trip they take away from the palace walls.
One time, Philip decided to trade dinners with a staff member because they were getting bigger portions of a meaty dish.
3. Garlic is strictly prohibited.
Former chef Carolyn Robb explained in an interview with Racked that this is likely due to the family's frequent meetings with important public figures, so they need to make sure they never have bad breath from the pungent flavor of garlic and other similarly strong-odor foods. The Queen absolutely forbids it from any meals eaten in her presence, though royals have been noticed indulging when Her Majesty isn't around.
4. They aren't supposed to eat shellfish.
This is an old rule that most of the modern royals have been known to break. It was established due to shellfish's notorious reputation for making people sick easily. Reigning royals would obviously want to avoid the embarrassment and potential offense.
5. Prince Charles is fussy about his eggs.
Though representatives for the royals tried to deny the rumors about the prince's persnickety egg preferences, his former personal chef Mervyn Wycherley says otherwise. He admitted that the kitchen would have Charles' security detail signal them when he was making his way back home for tea time so that they would be able to perfectly prepare his afternoon snack by boiling the egg for exactly four minutes.
"I always kept three pans boiling," Mervyn revealed to The Guardian, "just to be safe."
6. The young princes got to have unhealthy food.
Despite her own healthy preferences, Diana wanted to make sure her sons experienced "normal" food like burgers and pizza.
"I remember Princess [Diana] came into the kitchen one day and said, 'Cancel lunch for the boys. I'm taking them out, we're going to McDonald's.' And I said, 'Oh my God your royal highness, I can do that, I can do burgers.' And she said, 'No, it's the toy they want,'" Darren McGrady told Marie Claire.
"Yeah, the boys loved McDonald’s, and going out to pizza, and having potato skins — sort of the American foods."
7. Prince Charles doesn't like to share his meals.
Darren also revealed that Charles, who dines mostly on organic dishes from his personal garden and game he's hunted himself, is not keen on giving others a taste of what's on his plate.
In fact, in his interview with The Telegraph, the chef explained that the staff keeps his meals entirely separate from the rest of the royal family.
Prince Philip is fine with that. He reportedly pokes fun at his son's affinity for all things organic.
8. The Queen won't eat potatoes or pasta.
Rather than potatoes or pasta as a side dish, Darren told CTV that Elizabeth prefers lighter dishes. She's more likely to enjoy a large salad or vegetables with her meals, which are usually composed of a simple dish of grilled fish or chicken.
9. The Queen has quite the sweet tooth.
Particularly when it comes to her favorite treat: chocolate biscuit cake.
According to Darren's interview with Recipe Plus, she even takes along a slice whenever she makes a trip away from home, whether it's a long journey or short jaunt. He revealed that overall, dark chocolate is Queen Elizabeth's favorite indulgence.
10. The Queen doesn't peel bananas with her hands.
Darren revealed that Elizabeth remains ever the dignified woman while snacking on bananas. He explained that she wants to avoid "looking like a monkey." She starts by slicing the ends off and then slicing down the peel, before cutting them into bite-sized portions with a fork.
11. Kate likes home cooking.
Chef Carolyn also spilled the beans to Racked that, unlike the rest of the royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge has done the majority of cooking for herself, William, and their children — something she's done since their wedding back in 2011.
The kiddos always get the same thing for breakfast. Reports indicate Kate likes to start their days with cereal and sliced apples.
12. Everyone has to stop eating when the Queen does.
This only applies to fancy dinner parties and events, but if Philip is craving a second helping after Elizabeth has finished her own meal, he's out of luck. The rule applies to everyone in her presence, even if they are married or related.
I wonder if she keeps them to that rule when the family is enjoying a quiet meal at home!
13. Meghan Markle is a total foodie.
Meghan Markle was a foodie before she was a royal! She talked about cooking on her now-defunct blog, The Tig. She even helped make a cookbook with the Hubb Community Kitchen during her time as a senior royal. Meghan and Harry were famously roasting a chicken at his place when he popped the question.
When it comes to Meghan's taste, she's all about all the great seafood and produce she had available to her while growing up in Southern California. "We are so spoiled with our produce there, and my love of simple ingredients prepped well is completely linked to that. And the diet tends to be healthier as well – acai bowls, green juices, chopped salads, perfect sushi, grilled fish tacos … those are all things that make me think of home," she told EyeSwoon.
There's also her love for a good glass of wine. "I travel with all sorts of little homeopathic medicine because it's what's familiar with me. But then again, so is my love of our big California cabernets," she joked.
"That palate travels with me everywhere."
