But just what did Queen Elizabeth eat on a day-to-day basis? Well, according to Darren McGrady, a former chef in the Royal kitchens, the Queen stuck to the same foods most days. This may come as a surprise to many, but the Queen was clearly a creature of habit.
According to the Daily Mail, McGrady said that the queen had a "no starch" rule for dinner when she dined alone. More grilled or poached fish was on the menu with salad and vegetables. "That's it. That's all she has," Grady said to CNN.
McGrady says the Queen has four meals a day - but only eats small portions at each. In a series of YouTube Q&A videos, he says that during his time as her personal chef between 1982 and 1993, the Queen would eat breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner.
The former royal chef revealed the Queen loves chocolate!
"For a first course she loved the Gleneagles pâté, which is smoked salmon, trout and mackerel. She loved using ingredients off the estate and so if we had salmon from Balmoral from the River Dee, she'd have that, it was one of her favourites.
Queen Elizabeth II has eaten jam sandwiches every day since she was a toddler, according to her former private chef. Aug. 21, 2022, at 8:48 a.m.
When it's time to treat herself, McGrady revealed that all the Queen wants is a piece of chocolate biscuit cake. The cake is reportedly made in-house (or, more appropriately, in-palace), and Her Majesty consumes one slice per day.
Typically, she “eats very small portions” of grilled fish, chicken, vegetables, salad, and fresh fruit throughout the day — she's 90, she must be doing something right — but she saves room for dessert.
According to an interview McGrady gave to the DailyMail, the Queen hated garlic and forbade dishes containing the ingredient from being served at any table she was seated at. However, just as some royal family members love shellfish even though Her Majesty avoids it, the Queen's husband was a big fan of garlic.
According to the royal chef Darren, "Her favourite dish was bell peppers stuffed with zucchini, mushrooms, rice, garlic topped with Parmesan and mozzarella and finished with a smoked tomato and pepper sauce."
Her Majesty favoured brown eggs
Dinner at Buckingham Palace revealed: "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."
Heinz, which has been providing the royal households with products since 1955, said it “sincerely hopes to be able to continue doing so for many years to come”.
And as to putting one's clothes on, contrary to popular belief the Queen actually dressed alone. The monarch also did her own make-up for most events, with the exception of her annual Christmas speech, for which a make-up artist was employed.
Queen Elizabeth was a ruler, a royal, and, one of the most famous women in the entire world, but she was also a Brit to the core, evidenced by her lifelong love of fish and chips.
The Queen personally dislikes onions and garlic, so those items are seldom found in the royal kitchen. During an appearance on MasterChef Australia, Camilla herself confirmed the latter after being asked what foods royals won't eat. “I hate to say this, but garlic,” the Duchess of Cornwall said. “Garlic is a no-no.”
Given that she was England's reigning monarch for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth's food preferences were well-known in the Buckingham Palace kitchen. Not only did she have a famous hatred for garlic, but Elizabeth was also picky about how she ate fruit, and had a very particular way of eating bananas.
O'Grady spoke about how Queen Elizabeth was never a fan of McDonald's or KFC but did in fact have a hankering for one kind of fast food in particular. The food? Hamburgers. Yes, Her Majesty was similar to the majority of the population in the sense that she loved a hamburger just as much as the next person.
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King Charles generally follows a plant-based diet for dinner in order to reduce his carbon footprint. He told the BBC in 2021: “For years I haven't eaten meat and fish on two days a week and I don't eat dairy products on one day a week.”
Speaking to Insider, McGrady recalled how the Queen would avoid fast food at all costs, and if she ever fancied takeaway food, royal chefs would create their own versions of the dishes.
As a young girl, Princess Elizabeth's favorite food was jam pennies–tiny, crustless sandwiches made with white bread, strawberry jam, and butter. The affinity for these little finger sandwiches extended into her adult life and throughout her reign.
Mr McGrady explained the menus at Buckingham Palace tend to lean towards traditional French cuisine meaning Italian foods such as pizza are avoided. Even if Her Majesty did have one, a bizarre Royal tradition would prevent the Queen from eating any food with her hands.
The Queen enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea that included finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off; her favourite fillings included choices like smoked salmon and cream cheese or egg mayonnaise. She also had scones with jam and cream – with the jam on first. The brand? Tiptree had her Royal Warrant.
As an additional joke, Paddington asks the Queen, "Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich?" As he pulls it out of his hat, he adds, "I always keep one for emergencies." The Queen replies, "So do I" — revealing a sandwich of her own in her purse. "I keep mine in here.
If you're wondering what cereal The Queen ate, her choice was apparently Kellogg's Special K, although she also dabbled with Quaker Oats and Weetabix.
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.