Former Royal Chef Reveals Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Meal & Surprising Food Tastes
One would think that Queen Elizabeth's diet is made up of elaborate, high-priced dishes (including dark chocolate, of course). But on the contrary, the 96-year-old monarch is quite content with plain and simple meals.
In an interview with Coffee Friend, Her Majesty's former chef, Darren McGrady, opened up about her favorite meal of the day, her go-to afternoon snacks and her surprising food tastes. As it turns out, the queen has quite the sweet tooth.
When asked about the monarch's favorite meal, McGrady said, "The queen had afternoon tea every day, wherever she was in the world. If we were at Buckingham Palace and she was on her own for tea, or whether she had Prince William come and join her, or whether she had a garden party for 6,000 people or even if she was on the Royal Britannia in Australia. The Queen loved afternoon tea...certainly when I was there, she would sit down religiously for tea."
McGrady also explained that this is when the queen indulges in her favorite sweet treats. "For afternoon tea there would be small cake. Anything from a mini chocolate eclair to a Queen’s cake, and large cakes too, which we would call a cut of cake, where the Queen could cut a slice of cake. This could be honey and cream sponge, a fruit cake, gingerbread, banana bread, chocolate biscuit cake—one of her favorites—or a chocolate ganache cake. They were served with Earl Grey tea, and that was afternoon tea for the Queen every day."
We're not too surprised that the queen likes to get her sugar fix with a steaming cup of tea. But what does surprise us is her preference for food that's "frugal" and "simple."
"The one thing you can say about the Queen is that she is very frugal," McGrady explained. "It was one of the things that really surprised me, when I moved from The Savoy to Buckingham Palace, I thought every day would be smoked salmon, foie gras, caviar, but no. The Queen is very, very frugal, and it’s simple and plain foods. That comes from her early years of growing up during the war."
Delectable sweets and affordable food? Sounds like we have quite a bit in common with Her Majesty.
Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.
RELATED: LISTEN TO ‘ROYALLY OBSESSED,’ THE PODCAST FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE ROYAL FAMILY
