A former royal chef who catered for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has disclosed the exacting meal schedules of the royal household.
Darren McGrady, a previous royal chef, spoke about the regimented dining routine at Buckingham Palace, indicating that each family member ate separately in line with their individual routines and preferences.
“Meal times were fixed,” McGrady stated. “The Queen was very strict and disciplined. Contrary to popular belief, she never called for food at odd hours. They had set meals, and if they wanted something in between, there was always fruit or chocolates in their rooms.”
He reported that the Queen’s breakfast was promptly at 9am and unusually simple. “The Queen’s breakfast was at 9am, served in her room. She’d help herself to cereal from a Tupperware container, especially Special K, even though there were 20 chefs available to cook anything.”
Prince Philip, having separate culinary tastes, often ate apart from his wife. “Prince Philip, on the other hand, enjoyed more adventurous breakfasts like deviled kidneys,” McGrady shared, reports the Mirror.
Lunch was always at 1pm, while dinner was consistently scheduled for 8:15pm. This could be adjusted to 8:30pm when joined by the Queen Mother. Despite the punctuality, the meals typically consisted of traditional comforting dishes rather than elaborate spreads.
“We didn’t do anything over-the-top extravagant. The Queen was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing,” the chef explained. “Ingredients like lobster, caviar, and foie gras were reserved for state banquets. On normal days, she was perfectly happy with comfort food, so we cooked meals like cottage pie.”
Each member of the family, the chef noted, had their own culinary preferences. “Each royal had their favourites. For the Queen, it always came back to indigenous produce – partridge or venison from Sandringham, grouse from Balmoral.
“She had a sweet tooth and loved dark chocolate, especially anything over 60 percent cocoa. Any dessert with chocolate on the menu was sure to be chosen.”
The then-Prince Charles, now King, stood out for his passion for organic and Mediterranean foods. “Charles was the most adventurous. He brought organic food into the royal kitchens long before it became mainstream,” the chef said.
“He’d bring his own hampers with home-grown fruits and vegetables, especially at Sandringham… He also enjoyed foraging for wild mushrooms which he would bring to the kitchens for us to use in meals.”
Despite the modern fascination with dietary requirements, the royal table rarely accommodated special requests.
The chef, who served the Queen for 11 years, said: “During my 11 years with the Queen, we didn’t have a single vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest,” and added, “If you dined with the Queen, you ate what the Queen ate. If you didn’t like it, you’d stop for a McDonald’s on the way home.”
He also noted that while garlic was not explicitly prohibited, it was generally omitted from the late monarch’s dishes: “There weren’t banned foods, but the Queen didn’t like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial.” He continued: “Prince Philip, however, loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties.”
The younger royals, Prince William and Prince Harry, had simpler tastes and sometimes enjoyed fast food. “Wills and Harry loved cottage pie, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, potato wedges, macaroni cheese,” the chef reminisced.
He shared an anecdote about Princess Diana’s casual approach to dining with her sons: “One lunchtime, the Princess came in and said, ‘Cancel lunch today. I’m taking them out.’ I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ and she said, ‘McDonald’s.’ I said, ‘I can do burgers better than McDonald’s,’ and she said, ‘I know that Darren, but they want the toys in the Happy Meal.'”.
For formal occasions such as state banquets, the culinary team crafted more sophisticated fare. “A state visit takes a lot of planning,” the chef elaborated. “We’d get likes, dislikes, and dietary restrictions from the Foreign Office, then plan four menus and send them to the Queen – she’d choose one.”
The Queen’s preference for desserts remained steadfast, even during official events. “Dessert was often a bombe glace虂e – an ice cream dish. The Queen loved ice cream or chocolate desserts,” he disclosed.