Royal chef shares late Queen's strict meal rules and why she often ate alone
Former royal chef Darren McGrady spent 15 years cooking for the British royal family - serving the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry some of his finest dishes
A former royal chef who cooked for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has revealed the strict meal times the household followed for different family members.
According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the daily dining schedule in the late monarch's household was strictly regimented, with each member of the family often eating separately according to their own habits and tastes.
"Meal times were fixed," the chef revealed. "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."
Breakfast for the late Queen was served at 9am sharp - and surprisingly, it was a modest affair. "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.'
Her husband, Prince Philip, had different preferences and often dined separately. 'Prince Philip, on the other hand, enjoyed more adventurous breakfasts like deviled kidneys,' the chef said.
Lunch was always at 1pm, while dinner was served promptly at 8:15pm, moved to 8:30pm only if the Queen Mother was present. Though the timing was fixed, the food was often traditional and comforting rather than lavish.
'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.
"The 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.
'During my 11 years with the Queen, we didn't have a single vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest,' the chef revealed. '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.'
And while garlic wasn't outright banned, it was subtly left out of the late monarch's meals. 'There weren't banned foods, but the Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial,' the chef said. 'Prince Philip, however, loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties.'
The younger royals had a more relaxed approach. Prince William and Prince Harry were fond of comfort food, and occasionally indulged in fast food.
'Wills and Harry loved cottage pie, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, potato wedges, macaroni cheese,' the chef recalled.
'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 royal events such as state banquets, the chefs prepared more extravagant dishes. 'A state visit takes a lot of planning,' the chef explained. '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 taste remained consistent even for formal occasions. 'Dessert was often a bombe glacée - an ice cream dish. The Queen loved ice cream or chocolate desserts,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
When Sandy Gall was marched to an execution cell splattered with blood
Died: June 29, 2025 Sandy Gall, who has died aged 97, was a Scottish journalist and author who became known to millions for his war reports and as an ITN news anchorman. Gall's career spanned six decades. He was present at the British withdrawal from Suez, the fall of Saigon, reported from both Gulf Wars and issued the first bulletins from a liberated Kuwait, but he was best known for his reports from Afghanistan, where he travelled with Mujahideen rebels fighting Russian occupation. While undoubtedly an intrepid figure with a taste for adventure, Gall was also grounded (a father of four, he was very much a part of his Kent village community) and had a deep sense of humanity, setting up a medical charity in Afghanistan. Born Henderson Alexander Gall in Malaya to Scottish parents (his father was a rubber planter), he spent his first four years in Penang, an experience he credited with giving him his love of foreign places. He then returned to Scotland to live with relatives in chilly Aberdeenshire, which remained his home after his father retired to Banchory. Gall boarded at what is now called Glenalmond College (then Trinity College, Glenalmond) before studying modern languages at Aberdeen University, graduating in 1952. He applied to a Reuters training course for foreign correspondents while still a student and was turned down for it, but, undeterred, tried again the following year after a few months spent working at the Press & Journal. This time, he was successful. He was posted to Berlin, then Aden and Hungary in 1957, where he met his wife-to-be, Eleanor, who was working at the British Embassy. During his 10 years at Reuters, he had some of his riskiest assignments, including a visit to Congo in 1960, when he and two other journalists were surrounded by an angry mob in a military camp and told they were to be shot as spies. It took UN negotiators to arrange their release. Read more Veteran broadcaster Sandy Gall dies aged 97 | The Herald Tributes to athlete and Black Watch officer who served in the Troubles | The Herald Trains, planes, raptors, and pianos. Tributes to polymath musician | The Herald In 1963, Gall moved to ITN where he worked until 1992. For 20 years he was co-presenter of News At Ten, but also continued reporting from overseas, covering three Arab-Israeli wars and the Lebanese civil war. In 1972, he was sent to Uganda, which was under the control of the savage and capricious Idi Amin. After detailing Amin's atrocities, Gall was rounded up with other journalists and marched to what he later learned was an execution cell – a hut spattered with blood from which he was lucky to emerge alive. He was deported three days later, remarking afterwards that he had never been so glad to leave the ground. He visited Afghanistan for the first time in 1982, the year of the Russian occupation, and was struck immediately by what he saw as the similarity between the mujahideen and the proud, independent Scottish clans of the 17th and 18th centuries. Gall addressed British audiences from among the mujahideen in the mountains, reporting on attacks against Russian forces by Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of the Panjsher, whom he described as 'the most able and the most moderate' of the rebel leaders. His stories of the freedom fighters harrying the great military power captured viewers' imagination. That initial visit was followed by further assignments in 1984 and 1986. Gall set up Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal in 1983, to help those whose lives he had seen blighted by war. To do this, he had to overcome his scruples, as he later explained, knowing that there would be times when objectivity in his reporting would become impossible if he was to avoid reprisals against the clinic. The charity was established to help soldiers and civilians who had lost limbs to landmines, and also children born with club feet or hip displacement. It came to be called the Kabul Orthopaedic Organisation, processing more than 8,000 people a year. In 2010, Gall was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in recognition of his charity work in Afghanistan. He also wrote three books on the country. Gall remarked in 2012 that he did not miss being a war correspondent, being all too aware of the very real dangers it entailed. As well as Afghanistan, he wrote on other subjects, producing The Bushmen of Southern Africa, a book about indigenous people forced into reservations by the Botswana government. He was a keen golfer and family man. Brought up in the Church of Scotland, he said aged 76 that he was not a very devout Christian, but appreciated tradition, remarking that a service in the village church in Penshurst, Kent, would be 'a nice way to go'. He hoped his funeral would be a celebration, adding: 'There would be good claret and Chardonnay, but I can't specify right now what they will be, as I don't want to raise people's expectations.' Above all, he hoped his charity in Afghanistan would live on after him – as indeed it has. Gall was predeceased by his wife Eleanor Smyth, who died in 2018, and is survived by his son, Alexander, and three daughters, Carlotta, Fiona and Michaela.
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Telegraph
Courgette and feta frittata
This frittata is the perfect thing to eat now, as courgettes are bang in season. Get the Romana variety if you can, they're tastier. Overview Prep time 10 mins Cook time 15 mins Serves 2 Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil 2 courgettes, sliced into 1-2cm-thick discs (cut these into half-moons if your courgettes are particularly large) pinch of chilli flakes 1 garlic clove, grated 3 large eggs, beaten and seasoned 1 tbsp chopped parsley 100g feta, diced handful of rocket, to serve (optional) Method Step In a sauté pan that has a lid, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Step Add the 2 sliced courgettes, a pinch of chilli flakes, 1 grated clove of garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté over a medium heat to colour. Step Add a few teaspoons of water and cover with the lid. Step Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until just cooked – you want the courgettes to be soft but still retain their colour. Remove from the pan. Step Gently heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small, ovenproof non-stick frying pan (about 20cm; still large enough to hold 3 eggs). Step Allow the eggs to settle, then gently stir to cook the eggs but not scramble – you want just to start the cooking process. Stir a couple of times then allow the eggs to settle again. Step Cook over a low heat until only a thin layer of uncooked egg remains on the top of the frittata. You want it to set but only with a slight wobble. Step Meanwhile, preheat the grill. Step Place the pan under the grill and cook the frittata for 1-2 minutes, just until the surface of the eggs is cooked and the feta has just started to caramelise. Serve immediately with a handful of rocket leaves on top if you like.
North Wales Chronicle
10 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
New images of Mike Lynch's yacht released after salvage mission concludes
Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off Sicily on August 19 including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The recovery mission concluded after the 56-metre (184ft) hull and 72-metre (236ft) mast, as well as deck furniture and other loose items, had been delivered to Italian authorities in Termini Imerese in Palermo, Sicily. One photograph shows boats towing the large white mast through the water as it was lifted near the surface by balloons. Other images feature crews working on the mast and hull on the quayside, with both appearing to be covered in a brown substance. Marcus Cave, a director of British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing the salvage efforts, said: 'The delivery of the hull, mast and other potential materials from Bayesian brought this project to its conclusion. 'We thank the salvage and other teams that were involved in this challenging project, together with the Italian authorities for their professional assistance throughout.' The hull was recovered on June 21 and transported around 19 kilometres (12 miles) to Termini Imerese the next day by one of the most powerful floating sea cranes in Europe. On June 23 it was lifted into heavy steel supports on the quayside, which had tarpaulin underneath to prevent pollution. The cradle was custom-designed to fit the shape of the hull and built in the mast had been detached from the hull for the recovery and was on the seabed. It was salvaged using inflatable lifting balloons and delivered to port on June 25, along with loose items that may have moved away from the vessel during past 10 months. Remote-controlled submersible equipment was used to locate the debris in the vicinity of the Bayesian site. The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. The materials have been delivered to the Italian authorities and salvage personnel and equipment have subsequently left Sicily. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks, Kent.
