Royal Food Rules
Queen Elisabeth II has a collection of food and meal rules that, when put together, make dining a dizzying affair.
It’s not just ingredient restrictions. It’s about how and when they eat, the clothes that are acceptable, and who they can take samples from. Oh, and the doggies have their own menu as well.
No Garlic
You won’t find garlic on any menu in the royal palace. First of all, the Queen hates the stuff with a passion.
And since it also stinks up the breath, it’s considered a faux pas food. Onions are often a no-no as well. With these gone, it means there’s another dish that might make people cry...
No Starches
For anyone who loves starches, you’re in for a sad surprise.
Pasta (cry for garlic), potatoes, and rice are not for daily meals and usually saved for a special event. There’s no reason other than the royal “I said so” rule. Liz hates starchy food and insists on light meals for everyone. But the restrictions don’t end there.
No Shellfish
Many people might not want to live a life without shrimp or sushi, but there’s a firm “no shellfish” policy – especially when they are traveling.
It’s one of the few practical guidelines because it’s to avoid getting sick. Although, photographic evidence showing some of them breaking it now and then.
No Rare Meat
Maybe a blanket “no strange or really exotic stuff” is a better description for their menu. It doesn’t mean the cooking level.
It means finding zebra or subterranean rock snakes on your plate. This is also to avoid getting ill. It becomes tricky when they are overseas and offered a strange local dish.
Purse Signals
When the Queen is finished, so are you. In the unlikely event that any of us finds ourselves at a royal dinner, if you see Elizabeth plop her purse on the table, it means you have about 5 minutes left until your plate is taken away.
She’s known to try and leave people adequate time. Still, it’s better to eat fast.
Meal Swap
If the roast chicken you whipped up for lunch catches a royal’s eye.
You might be in trouble. If one of the family members likes your meal better (and you haven’t touched it yet), you are obligated to give it to them and accept theirs instead (if they ask of course). Apparently, Prince Harry is notorious for this.
Kitchen Halt
Imagine being a royal chef, and you need to get something out of the oven ASAP.
Well, once the queen walks in, everyone must stop what they’re doing. Pans and pots are slid off the burners and everyone takes 3 steps back and bows. Cake burning? Too bad. Start again.
No Stains
Even if the shade is unnoticeable, the golden glassware decree is to keep things as clean and sparkling as possible.
So when Megan sips from her champagne glass, she has to try and keep lipstick off of it. Or, she had to at least drink from the same spot. Kinda makes sipping less fun.
Dog Food
Everyone knows how Elizabeth loves her big-bum corgis. Her fur babies are not allowed to eat common dog food.
The royal kitchen must always make them gourmet meals in a rotation of beef, chicken, rabbit, livers, etc. Rumor has it the kitchen staff hates the yappy, spoiled dogs.
No waste
It’s not necessarily that weird – more surprisingly waste-conscious. Any uneaten portions of food cannot be thrown out … ever.
Everything must be reused in some way. Meat could be put in a stew. Fruit could be added to desserts. Or staff could have leftovers. Her Majesty does not like food waste.
Farm To Table
The demand for organic food is no joke in the kitchen.
Everything must be delicious and healthy when possible. But when they’re on holiday in their vacation estates, they eat only the meat they hunt. Venison and wild game are common sights on their table. They’re not averse to cooking it themselves.
Specific Tea
It’s not one rule. It’s many.
There’s the “proper way to serve and drink tea”, but each royal has their own “special” way they prefer it. Messing this up can get a staffer in trouble. Oh, and anyone seen actually touched anything but the handle, would get a bit of stink eye.
No Gifts
This one can be a bit tricky.
If they are inside a planned or designated event, they can accept food from other people – and it must be in small portions. But if they are outside of one, they cannot. Basically, they can’t take a random bag of chips from Joe Shmo off the street.
Private Attire
No surprise here. It’s a very old rule that’s been carried over through monarchs - looking good at all times.
All family meals must “formal” dress. This doesn’t mean tuxedos and ball gowns. Jackets, suit slacks, pantyhose, knee-length dresses, and the like are always worn even if it’s a private deal.
Utensil Grace
Eating within the noble circle means a bit of acrobatic utensils.
They hold knives in their right hand and forks in their left with the tines facing down. Here’s what makes it fiddly; instead of stabbing the food, they slid it onto the back of the fork and bring it to their mouth. Peas would be a nightmare.
Bathroom Break
And you know what else would be a nightmare? Using the bathroom during a function. If a royal needs to use the bathroom, they can't tell anyone about it. Only a simple "excuse me" is allowed with no further explanation.
But if they want to return and find their meal waiting for them, they'll have to remeber to cross the fork and knife across the plate to signal to the waiters they're not done yet.
I'm Done!
If they are done, however and do wish for their waiters to take away their plates, there's a signal for that too! They simply place the handles of both their knife and fork to the bottom ride side of the plate instead of crossing them.
Who knew that you could communicate so much from a knife and fork?
Art Of The Napkin
Napkins aren't just for royals, that's true! But did you know the royals use a very specific technique to ensure that food stays on the plate and not on their clothes or face?
Fold the naplkin in half and rest it on your leg. Then, if you need to, use the part inside the fold to wipe your face clean. And viola! You're now napkinning like a royal!
Discreet Chew
This one might be a popular one, even among non-royals but they have a strict discrete chew policy. Talking with your mouth full or eating with your mouth open is a big no-no for the royal family.
Manners are to be obtained at all times around food, whether they are formal or informal gatherings! The same goes for precedence.
Wait Your Turn!
In the royal family, things are done by order of precedence. In other words, in order of who'll ascend to the throne first. That means Meaghan and Harry always enter the room last.
They also order last and receive their meal last. That must get annoying after a while? Just like the contiuos use of mango...
Affinity For Mango
Apparently, the queen is a really big fan of mangoes. She even likes there to be a certain amount of mangoes in the palace at all times so she can eat a few if she's feeling so inclined.
She also loves to see them in dishes, dishes that of course would be approved by her before her family caught sight of them!
Too Many Rules, Too Little Tea
As mentioned before, there are many rules for tea. For a royal in need of afternoon tea, the tea must be poured first, and then the milk. But it's the stirring that one needs to be mindful of.
When stirring, it's inappropriate to touch the sides of the cup with the spoon so they have to carefully avoid this. And of course, slurping is out of the question!
Tap Water
While travelling, royals are forbidden to drink tap water. This is another measure taken to prevent any kind of sickness and refrain from delayed ventures, especially if it's an official royal visit.
They can only stick to bottled water. I guess we can see the merit in that... But one rule that is hard to understand is the queen's breakfast!
Queen's Breakfast
If this is what eating breakfast like a Queen is, we don't want it! Queen Liz follows a strict menu for her breakfast each and every morning. That is, one of English Breakfast Tea and Cornflakes.
We're not quite sure as to why the queen has to eat like this. Perhaps it's for health reasons or a personal preference. But one thing's for sure, with all that fresh, lavish food at her fingertips, it's nice to see a little bit of modesty!