What dishes do you think of when you think of a royal banquet? Maybe you think of expensive seafood, like oysters with caviar on top. Maybe you think of tables filled with delicacies such as beef tartare or squid ink pasta. What you might not guess is that these foods are off-limits for working royals.
The members of the British royal family have a lot of money, but they can’t eat all the best foods in the world. In the palace, there are strict rules about what foods the royal family can and cannot eat. Because of royal protocol, which is a set of strict rules that everyone close to the crown must follow, this is the case. For example, senior members of the royal family are expected to hold their wine glasses by the stem and not drink before 6 p.m. m. People who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II were also told to eat like the queen and put down their forks when she did.
These rules also apply to which food items are acceptable. There is even a small list of delicacies forbidden on palace grounds. From raw meat to pasta, there are plenty of foods that the royal family avoids.
People have always been interested in and fascinated by what the British royal family eats. Because they are royalty and follow strict rules, it’s not surprising that the royal family has its own rules and tastes when it comes to food. A question that comes up a lot is whether the royal family eats pork. Let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
An Overview of Royal Meal Traditions
To understand if the royals eat pork, we first need some context about typical royal meals. Here are some insights:
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Breakfast is relatively simple usually consisting of cereal, toast, fruit yogurt, tea or coffee. Eggs and smoked salmon are also regular breakfast items.
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Lunch is generally a light meal of salad, fish or poultry, and a dessert. Sandwiches are also common.
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Afternoon tea is a tradition dating back to the 1840s. It consists of tea scones finger sandwiches, and cake or pastries.
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Dinner is a more formal 3-course meal. Starters may include soup, shellfish, pâté or melon. Main courses tend to be grilled, roasted meat or fish with vegetables. Desserts are often sweet soufflés, fruit fools, or ice cream.
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A traditional Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings, stuffing, gravy, and roasted beef, chicken, lamb, or pork is a popular meal.
So while the royal menus focus on lighter, non-spicy options overall, Sundays have featured classic roast pork or ham dishes.
Insights from Former Royal Chefs
To get the inside scoop, it helps to turn to former chefs who have cooked for the royal family. Here are some revealing comments:
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In the 1990s, Darren McGrady was Queen Elizabeth II’s personal chef. He said that the Queen does eat ham sometimes, like in a Sunday roast or on a sandwich.
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However, McGrady said pork is “not something we’d see very often on the menu” as the Queen generally prefers beef, chicken or game birds.
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Another former royal chef, Owen Hodgson, said pork is avoided at Buckingham Palace lunches since too much protein makes one “sleepy”. Lighter roasted chicken or fish are favored.
So while pork does not seem to be a regular menu component, it likely makes occasional appearances, particularly at Sunday meals.
Royal Guidelines on Ingredients and Preparation
Beyond the chef testimonies, some official royal food handling guidelines shed further light on pork preferences:
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The royal kitchens avoid serving pork or venison that has not been well-cooked. This minimizes the risk of foodborne illnesses.
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In fact, all meats for the Queen are cooked well-done to ensure food safety. The Queen dislikes bloodied or undercooked meat.
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Raw shellfish and rare meats that might contain harmful bacteria are prohibited.
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The Queen prefers seasonal fruits and vegetables over anything that seems genetically modified or unnaturally out-of-season.
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Garlic, onions, and overly spicy sauces are also avoided since they may cause bad breath or digestive discomfort.
So in terms of pork preparation, the meat would always be thoroughly cooked. However, the minimal use of garlic or spices could make it less flavorful than typical pork dishes.
Religious Influences on Pork Consumption
Some speculate that the royal family may eat less pork for religious or cultural reasons, but the evidence is debatable:
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Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England, which does not prohibit pork.
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While Judaism and Islam ban pork for religious reasons, Christianity does not.
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As recently as 2014, the Queen openly spoke about her appreciation for bacon sandwiches, undercutting any avoidance for religious reasons.
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Prince Charles did reportedly remove pork and foie gras from his residence in 2015 out of concerns over animal welfare. But this seemed to be a personal choice rather than a religious restriction.
So religious influences do not seem to be a major factor, although members may avoid pork for ethical concerns over modern factory farming practices.
Nutrition Standards Limit Heavy Meats
Beyond tastes and traditions, medical experts influence royal menus based on nutrition standards:
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The royal diet emphasizes lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables to limit weight gain or heart risks.
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Heavily salted, smoked or processed meats high in saturated fats may be restricted for health reasons.
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The royal preference for lighter roasted poultry or grilled fish over red meats reflects these dietary guidelines.
So nutrition standards indirectly discourage heavy consumption of pork sausage, bacon, ham and other salty processed pork. Fresh pork likely makes only occasional appearances.
The Verdict: Yes, but Rarely
In the end, the evidence suggests that pork is permitted for the British royal family, but only appears occasionally on the menu. Lighter poultry, fish and vegetable-based dishes take priority over any red meat or cured pork. And when pork does make an entrance, it is always thoroughly cooked with minimal spices. So while the Queen or Prince Charles may indulge in the odd slice of ham or bacon sandwich, regular pork sausages, chops and roasts are infrequent treats. With their elite status and special dietary needs, Britain’s royals are not packing away the pork as in ages past.
Alcohol served by strangers
Not accepting alcohol from strangers might not sound like a bad idea, no matter who you are. However, the British royal family takes this rule a step further. Roy Gordon Rayner, a reporter who went on more than 20 royal tours, saw that King Charles III and his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles like to bring their own alcohol on trips.
Apparently, this decision has everything to do with safety. Rayner told Condé Nast Traveler : “Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall sometimes take their own alcohol so theres no danger of their drinks being spiked.”
It is said that Charles and Camilla ask their security team to step up to make sure that no one messes with their drinks. As Rayner explained, “Their police bodyguard will discreetly carry a bag of their drinks. ” For Charles, this means traveling with the ingredients to make a mean gin and tonic. In Camillas case, meanwhile, it means voyaging with red wine.
Alcoholic beverages arent the only kind of drink the royals avoid while traveling. Tap water is also largely considered off-limits. However, the royals issue with tap water has less to do with the threat of a spiked beverage, than it does with food poisoning. As reported by The Sun, the royals try to avoid anything that could send them running to the “loo” in the middle of a day of busy engagements.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, travelers have an elevated risk of contracting waterborne illnesses when traveling the world. To avoid this situation, the organization recommends avoiding tap water — even when you brush your teeth. It also suggests avoiding freshly-squeezed juices, ice, and fountain drinks. Meanwhile, they recommend enjoying beverages that you can open from a bottle or a can. Hot drinks, like tea or coffee, are also considered safe choices. Because of this, its easy to imagine that senior royals make an effort to only drink pre-packaged beverages, and avoid water from the tap.
Rare or raw meats
Few things might taste as good as a plate of beef carpaccio drenched in fresh lime juice or a rare filet mignon with a mushroom glaze. Unfortunately, however, Queen Elizabeth II banned members of the British royal family from enjoying these delicacies. According to former palace chef Darren McGrady, the queen always requested that beef be well-done. “We also couldn’t serve meat that was rare because she liked her meat more well done,” the royal chef told The Sun. “.
According to other sources, this rule likely comes from a desire to keep royal family members healthy. In an interview with Woman and Home, royal butler Grant Harold hinted that certain dishes often prone to food poisoning are avoided. After all, it wouldnt be particularly regal to show up to an official visit with any sort of dramatic tummy troubles.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that raw or undercooked meat can place consumers at risk for bacterial infections, like E. coli. If you ever want to opt out of a meal because the steak is cooked too raw, just say that you model your tastes after the queen.
The royal family is famous for its sandwich consumption. Queen Elizabeth II is known for her love of jam pennies, which are small sandwiches made of butter and jam that look like old English pennies. But Elizabeth’s love for round sandwiches isn’t just a random preference; square sandwiches are actually not allowed in the palace because they have an offensive meaning.
Former royal chef Graham Newbould revealed this in the documentary “Secrets of the Royal Kitchen” (via YouTube). Newbould said the royals perceive square sandwiches as a symbol of treason. Apparently, this history runs so deep that palace chefs have to trim these teatime snacks into the proper shape. “The royal family, when theyre having square sandwiches, they always had the corners cut off. Its tradition. It goes back a long time. In the olden days, if you served anything to the monarch that had a point on it, it meant that you were trying to overthrow the throne,” Newbould shared.
Because of this, you can often find the royal kitchen staff working hard on the familys teatime sandwiches. Recalling the time that he worked in the palace, former royal staffer Owen Hodgson told The Telegraph that he once got in trouble for not paying attention to his sandwiches. Apparently, Hodgson proceeded to “make the perfect tuna sandwich: cutting the loaf lengthways, buttering both sides … He then folded over the two lengths, removed the crusts, and cut eight identical triangles. The palace kitchen was all about the details.”
Queen Elizabeth II was known to enjoy fresh truffles. Still, she told her kitchen staff they couldn’t order any more, which meant that no one in the royal family could eat truffles while they were eating with the queen.
Chatting with The Telegraph, former palace chef Darren McGrady explained that finances had everything to do with the queens odd rule: “The Queen loved scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a grating of truffle. But she was too frugal to ever order fresh truffles.” Per McGrady, Elizabeth would only indulge in truffles around the holidays. He told the outlet that she “really enjoyed them at Christmas when the truffles were sent as a gift.”
Even though Elizabeth didn’t want her family to eat truffles all year, she did let them eat other kinds of mushrooms all year. The Telegraph said that the queen and her family often ate steaks with a mushroom whiskey cream sauce. Owen Hodgson, who used to work at the palace, told the outlet that he used to cook mushrooms for the family and said, “When we cooked the queen’s mushrooms, we always added a smidgen of marmite.” “.
British royals are expected to attend a whole lot of events. Working royals have to do charity work, go to fundraisers, and sometimes even talk to famous people because they represent the crown. Of course, this means they have to talk and shake hands with a lot of donors, which is best done with fresh breath. Because of this, Queen Elizabeth II banned garlic for royals at all events, excluding state banquets.
Interestingly, the new generation of royals seems keen on continuing this tradition. King Charles III is thought to follow the rule that his late mother set about garlic because he has never really liked the taste of it.
In an interview with The Daily Express, chef Graham Tinsley opened up about his experience catering for the royal family. According to Tinsley, Charles tries to avoid a number of ingredients at dinnertime. These include chocolate, coffee, and garlic — all ingredients that can destroy your breath. Charles wife confirmed this during an episode of “MasterChef Australia.” Camilla Parker Bowles said garlic was the one food she wouldnt want to see at a royal reception, due to Charles distaste for it (via Twitter).
As a huge environmentalist, Charles has done a lot of work to fight global warming. He has resisted the allure of fast fashion over the years and has even started a line of eco-friendly clothes to help fight the problem. King is also very involved in the fight against animal cruelty. He asked other royals, including the queen, to help him ban foie gras in the palace. This controversial food, made from duck or goose liver, is considered inhumane by some.
Ultimately, the kings campaign was successful. According to Andrew Farquharson, the household deputy master at Clarence House, Charles worked hard to rid the palace of foie gras. As Farquharson told the Daily Mail prior to Charles ascension to the throne, “The Prince of Wales has a policy that his chefs should not buy foie gras.” The staffer then went on to report that Charles considered canceling business with a shop that serves the delicacy: “His Royal Highness was not aware that the House of Cheese sells foie gras and this will be addressed when their warrant is reviewed.”
Even though lobster risotto or crab legs sound like royal foods, the royal family doesn’t always eat them. Queen Elizabeth II was against the consumption of seafood, citing food poisoning as her major concern.
After all, canceled royal events due to alimentary intoxication could be humiliating to members of Britains most famous family, since their lives are so widely publicized. As former royal butler Grant Harold explained in an interview with Woman and Home, “It is a very sensible move to abandon having seafood when out and about on public duties.”
Harold says that things are especially dangerous when the royal family is traveling outside of the UK. When abroad, royals are often expected to sample local eats. It’s important to not only make a good impression on a foreign country, but also to say nice things about the food every time you go there. Because of this, its best for working royals to skip anything that could make them feel ill. It is much less embarrassing to refuse to try a dish than to publicly dislike a regional specialty. Harold said, “We don’t want a member of the royal family to get really sick from food poisoning, especially if she is on a tour abroad.” “.
Queen Elizabeth II was a huge fan of strawberries. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the queen loved the berries grown at one of her estates. McGrady shared in a video on his personal YouTube channel that she particularly liked to use them to make homemade jams and jellies: “We make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens.” However, just because the queen approved of her own home-grown berries, doesnt mean just any old fruit was allowed through palace gates.
In a separate interview with Recipes-Plus (via Delish), McGrady revealed that the queen banned out-of-season fruits from the palace. She especially forbade the purchase of genetically-modified berries — which are made to ripen at an unusual time of year. The chef shared, “You can send strawberries every day to the Queen during summer at Balmoral and shell never say a word. Try including strawberries on the menu in January and shell scrub out the line and say dont dare send me genetically modified strawberries.”
Former Royal Chef Reveals Queen Elizabeth’s Fave Meal And The One Thing She Hates
Are Royals allowed to eat?
In particular, there are loads of food etiquette rules that the royal family have to abide by, including a load of delicious food and drink the Queen and the rest of the royals can’t have. So, here are 11 foods the royal family are not allowed to eat. Poor loves.
Do Royals eat pasta?
The royal family very rarely eat pasta. In fact, it’s only really served on special occasions or at dinner parties. Apparently, it’s all to do with it being too starchy and filling, and the Queen’s simply not into that. The same goes for rice. There will very rarely be rice dishes served to the royals. And potatoes.
What do Royals eat?
And there’s a lot of information about what the royals eat. Kate Middleton loves ceviche. Prince Phillip likes to grill. Prince Charles loves Italian food and wants everything to be organic. Meghan Markle likes red wine and roast chicken. The one who interests me the most, though, is the Queen.
Does the queen eat raw meat?
The Queen is reportedly not a fan of rare meat – according to former royal chef Darren McGrady, she likes her meat well done. Royals are also prohibited from eating foods containing raw meat such as steak tartare when on official engagements to avoid food poisoning. Pasta