Queen Elizabeth II likely sampled some of the finest cuisine in the world during her 96 years – including 70 on the throne.
However, according to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the late Queen did not live to eat but eat to live. She had a very practical approach to food.
He told HELLO! that “for the most part she stuck to the same dishes week in week out”, and had to sign off on new recipes before they were trialed.
He revealed: “We prepared the menus three days ahead so we could get the food in. The chefs would pick the menus and she would put a line through the ones she didn’t want.
“Sometimes she’d put a line through it all and put something different, like if she was having dinner with Prince Andrew, his favourite was crème brulee with Sandringham oranges.
“It’s like any mum with a son or grandson coming home. If Prince William was coming for tea it would be a chocolate biscuit cake. He loved those.”
According to The Mirror, the Queen liked to start her day with a cup of Earl Grey tea – hold the milk and sugar but add a biscuit or two.
Her hearty but healthy main breakfast would comprise cereal, yoghurt, toast and marmalade in her main dining room at Buckingham Palace. She was also partial to scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, according to reports.
In ‘Dinner at Buckingham Palace’, royal servant Charles Oliver said: “Kippers, in a number of uncomplicated variations, have remained a favourite with the Queen ever since – for breakfast, as a savoury or a late-night supper.
“The Queen is also fond of smoked haddock as a breakfast dish.”
At lunchtime, the Queen might have also enjoyed a fish dish, but not before a gin and Dubonnet cocktail – according to British Heritage Travel.
Dinner was usually rather meaty, with Darren McGrady telling HELLO!: “For a main course she loved game, things like Gaelic steak, fillet steak with a mushroom whisky sauce, especially if we did it with venison.
“For a first course she loved the Gleneagles pâté, which is smoked salmon, trout and mackerel.” It’s worth noting that the Queen loved using ingredients off the estate at Balmoral.
The Queen’s favourite cuisines were traditional British and French, as per the royal insider.
As for dessert, Queen Elizabeth II was totally relateable. According to Darren, she was “absolutely a chocoholic”, and was particularly a fan of chocolate perfection pie.
She may have balanced this with some fruit for dessert on the side, likely strawberries or peaches, according to British Heritage Travel.
“And to finish, Queen Elizabeth would wash the food down with a glass of the best champagne money can buy. The good life!”