Queen Elizabeth could have the sweetest tooth in the royal family. Her majesty is reported to have a strong fondness for chocolate, and her former butler has even called her “chocolate junkie.” Although Queen Elizabeth enjoys a good dessert like anyone else, there are very strict table rules that guests are supposed to follow when dining with royalty, including who can eat first.
Within the royal family’s rules of etiquette for eating with Queen Elizabeth
The royal label helps govern how Queen Elizabeth interacts with the public and other members of the royal family. Some of these rules are visible every time royalty goes out to the public, while others remain hidden behind closed doors.
Over the course of her 68-year reign, Queen Elizabeth dined with countless political leaders, celebrities, and royalty from other countries. When it comes to dining room etiquette, all guests inside the palace are expected to follow what Queen Elizabeth does at the table.
One of the first rules your guests are expected to follow is to make sure Queen Elizabeth is the first person seated. People also cannot eat until Her Majesty has started their meal and they are all done when it is full.
Although most people strictly adhere to these rules, Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell once remembered once when a young prince dove into his dessert before Her Majesty had a chance to start eating .
What happens when someone breaks the actual protocol?
Burrell revealed that the incident occurred when Queen Elizabeth was hosting a dinner at the Royal Yacht Britannia in the South Pacific. According to Express, a local prince was dining with His Majesty and he accidentally started serving himself before Queen Elizabeth had a chance to do anything.
“The prince forgot to watch what the Queen was doing; instead, he put the grapes in the bowl of his fingers, then some cherries, then, when the cream and sugar came out, he also poured them, making a kind of soup of fruits”. explained.
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Burrell admitted that he seemed horrified to see the entire scene unfold. The prince did not realize his mistake until he was about to eat the fruit bowl. Fortunately, Her Majesty was not offended and “took a sip” from her own bowl to make him less uncomfortable.
Burrell did not say what Queen Elizabeth thought of the situation, but it seems she took it easy.
A look at Queen Elizabeth’s diet
As for Queen Elizabeth’s diet, one of her former chefs, Darren McGrady, once revealed that she is not very adventurous when it comes to food. Although McGrady says Prince Philip “lives to eat,” he noted that Queen Elizabeth is more frugal with her diet.
For breakfast Queen Elizabeth likes to start the day with a simple meal. After drinking a cup of Earl Gray tea, Her Majesty usually has a bowl of cereal or some fruit. Sometimes she changes things and eats a plate of scrambled eggs with a side of smoked salmon.
Before diving into lunch, he likes to enjoy a small drink of gin and Dubonnet. Then keep things light with grilled vegetables or chicken, usually accompanied by a salad. His favorite lunch is the grilled Dover sole complete with a bowl of spinach or zucchini.
Her Majesty also enjoys some pre-dinner tea, which usually features small sandwiches. Their sandwiches are cucumber jam and smoked salmon or raspberry cut into pennies.
For her last meal of the day, Elizabeth tends to prefer meat for the main course, such as roast beef, lamb, or salmon, served in sauce.
His majesty reportedly loves chocolate
While Queen Elizabeth generally sticks to her favorite staples throughout the day, McGrady stated that she likes to change her menu every time she dines with her children.
When she eats with Prince Andrew, for example, she often orders “crème brulee with Sandringham naranges”, which is her favorite food.
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McGrady also revealed that Her Majesty is very greedy. It turns out that chocolate is one of their favorite desserts and one of their favorites is the perfect chocolate cake.
“She is absolutely a chocolate addict,” he shared. “Anything we put on the menu that had chocolate, she would choose, especially the perfect chocolate cake.”
