Yes, a quirky British royal tradition, started by King Edward VII, involves guests being weighed on antique scales upon arrival and again after Christmas dinner (or throughout their stay) at Sandringham to ensure they've enjoyed the lavish hospitality and gained weight, a sign of good feasting. This practice continues today, with royals stepping on scales to check if they've put on a few pounds, a fun way to gauge the success of the festive meals.
A weigh-in both before and after eating Christmas lunch Arguably the strangest royal Christmas tradition, all family members and guests are weighed before and after their festive feast. It's thought that if you've gained a few pounds during the event, you've truly enjoyed the meal.
This one is slightly more obvious. Instead of using “toilet,” royals use the word “loo” when they need to use the facilities. “'Toilet' is French by origin, so it is apparently avoided,” The Mirror writes.
Foie gras. King Charles has spent decades of his life advocating for animals and the environment. He rarely consumes meat, and when he does it's usually fish. So it makes sense that his hardline stance on foie gras extends to the palace kitchens.
Like many households, Christmas Day in the royal family has long been marked by an extravagant consumption of festive food and drinks. The weighing ritual was designed by the Edwardian king as a symbolic display of enjoyment, with each guest's apparent level of indulgence displayed on the scales after the day's events.
When they return, it's straight into pre-lunch drinks." One reason mooted for the separation of the sexes is that it gives the female royals more time to prepare hair and make up for the highly photographed church service.
According to Sir William Heseltine, one of Queen's private secretaries, when staying with Her Majesty, members of the royal family should wait until the Queen retires to bed before they also hit the hay.
Forbidden foods
She is forbidden to eat shellfish, for example, when travelling because they could cause food poisoning. Ditto for tap water, bottled water only, and spicy foods. Carbohydrates are also banned, in deference to the late Queen who was not a fan of pasta, rice or potatoes.
No, King Charles and Queen Camilla generally sleep in separate bedrooms, a common practice among the British upper class and royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as it helps maintain their relationship and allows for personal space, with both having their own rooms at residences like Clarence House and private country homes.
When it comes to breakfast, though, she starts her day with “slow-burn energy oats.” Kate prepares hers with milk or mixes them with yogurt. She also adds fruit, nuts, cinnamon and nut butter. You may know slow-burn energy oats as rolled oats, and it's possible they're already part of your morning routine.
The Queen has a bath every morning, drawn by her maid while she sips a cup of tea. It's believed that the royals prefer to avoid taking showers, due to their belief that they're for members of the working class.
10 Words the British Royal Family Won't Say
Lavatory. Lavatory has Latin origins, deriving from the word “lavare”. During the Medieval period, this evolved to “lavatorium” and finally to lavatory which is still used today, though not commonly and only in the most formal settings.
Royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl discussed the Prince of Wales's meal of choice, writing in Vanity Fair, "In the evenings [Kate] indulges her hobby of cooking William's favorite supper, roast chicken."
As Prince William is now the new Prince of Wales, it is possible that his title code word for his possible demise is Operation Menai Bridge. However, it is also entirely possible that they have kept the King's code word the same, to avoid confusion.
Queen Elizabeth had a private Chef , she does not. The Princess of Wales can actually cook, unlike the Montecito narcissist. Catherine was not born in an aristocratic family, so she lead a fairly normal life before she married Prince William.
Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in separate beds primarily due to the constraints of the Royal Train (which has only single beds) and as part of a long-standing aristocratic tradition of separate sleeping arrangements for better rest or privacy, though they likely share a bed at home, with their dog sometimes joining them for extra comfort, aligning with modern trends for "sleep divorce".
Queen Camilla was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia following a chest infection in late 2024, which caused fatigue and led to her missing some public engagements, though she continued with indoor duties and worked towards recovery, managing lingering post-viral tiredness with rest. Her illness was initially described as a "nasty bug," but she later confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis herself, requiring a modified schedule for a period.
In his book, Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants (via The Daily Mail) royal author Tom Quinn claimed that Harry and William called Queen Camilla "Lady Macbeth," "Cruella de Vil" and the "Witch of the West" as teenagers.
Kate Middleton (Princess of Wales) often has plasters on her fingers due to minor cuts and scrapes from everyday activities, especially from playing with her children on the trampoline or gardening, with Kensington Palace confirming these are small, non-serious injuries. She's been seen with them at various events over the years, leading to speculation about gardening mishaps or kitchen accidents, but it's generally attributed to being an active mum.
Kate often indulges in physical activities like running, swimming, and playing tennis, which not only helped her shed the pounds but also kept her energized. It wasn't just about looking slim – it was about staying healthy and feeling her best for her royal duties and her family.
And that's because I was eating a variety of foods I loved. Ultimately, I learned that "bingeing" and "elimination" don't exist in Markle's eating plan. Even though she minimizes the amount of gluten, dairy, and meat she eats, it's important to remember she it appears she doesn't believe in shunning them forever.
Meghan Markle has publicly shared that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a serious and rare condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurred after childbirth, describing it as a "huge medical scare". She revealed this on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the disorder, which can happen weeks after delivery and impact new mothers' ability to care for their newborns.
The 3-2-1 sleep rule is a simple wind-down routine: stop eating and drinking alcohol 3 hours before bed, stop working/mentally stimulating activities 2 hours before, and turn off screens (phones, TVs) 1 hour before sleep, helping you transition to rest by reducing stimulants and preparing your mind and body. It's often part of a larger 10-3-2-1-0 rule, which also adds no caffeine 10 hours prior and no hitting snooze (0) in the morning.
The "3-2-1 Bedroom Method" (or a variation like the 10-3-2-1 rule) is a sleep hygiene strategy to improve rest by staggering when you stop certain activities before bed: stop heavy food/alcohol 3 hours before, stop work/mental stress 2 hours before, and turn off screens (phones, TVs, computers) 1 hour before sleep, creating a better wind-down for your body.