The royal household take pleasure in feasting on scrumptious meals on Christmas Day simply as a lot as the remainder of us – and festivities contained in the royal residences definitely aren’t accomplished by halves.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady, who has labored for the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, has cooked round seven Christmas dinners for the royal household throughout his profession.
From an indulgent breakfast, to a hearty conventional lunch, Afternoon Tea, and a festive night feast, there’s so much in retailer for the likes of the Prince and Princess of Wales, King Charles, Queen Camilla and Co on the menu for Christmas Day.
To kick off a day stuffed with decadent meals and togetherness, the women and men of the household really eat individually.
According to Darren, the boys are served up a a full English breakfast, together with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, kippers and grilled kidneys. The royal girls, nevertheless, are mentioned to take pleasure in “a light breakfast of “sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast and low delivered to their rooms”. The family then traditionally visit church before returning for lunch.
© Danny Martindale“It was the same meal every year,” Darren has beforehand advised HELLO!. “They’re actually boring when it comes to festivities! They didn’t do hams or anything, just traditional turkeys. We did three turkeys for the Queen and her family in the royal dining room, one for the children’s nursery and then more for the 100 or so staff, so everyone had a Christmas lunch.”
© GettyAccording to Darren, the Queen and senior royals would dine in the principle room, whereas the younger Princes and Princesses would eat within the nursery, sorted by their nannies.
“The children always ate in the nursery until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly at the dining table,” mentioned Darren. “So for the Queen, there was never a case of putting a high chair at the table with a little baby squealing and throwing food. It was Victorian. The children’s place was in the nursery and Nanny would take care of them. It’s your modern-day Downton Abbey.”
The household would dine on “turkey, different stuffings – sage and onion, chestnut – and the traditional sides like roast potatoes, mash potatoes, parsnips and Brussels sprouts,” added Darren, after which Christmas pudding for dessert.
“The pudding was made in pudding basins, turned out, decorated in holly, doused in brandy and then the palace steward would carry it, flaming, into the royal dining room,” mentioned Darren. “It was so traditional.”
After lunch, the royals would go for a stroll round Sandringham Estate, then come again to observe the Queen’s speech. This yr marks a primary for King Charles, who might be delivering his first Christmas speech since acceding to the throne.
“Not long after they’d go in for afternoon tea,” mentioned Darren. “It was always the chocolate Yule log, which was a twist on the chocolate birthday cake, scones, mince pies, different types of sandwiches and the Christmas cake.
“We’d make one massive Christmas cake for the Queen and the royal household after which one other smaller one for the nursery for Prince William, Prince Harry, Zara, Peter, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. It was all the time fruit cake – royal icing, marzipan and the standard fruit cake.”
© GettyThe final meal of the day could be the night buffet, which Darren describes as “even more elaborate” than lunch. It was additionally the one time the Head Chef would go into the eating room to carve the meat.
“The buffet was when they brought out the whole spread,” mentioned Darren. “When I was there, Harrods would always give them a whole foie gras en croute. They’d have a whole Stilton cheese. We’d take the top off, pitchfork the top and pour port into it. It made this gorgeous spread for the crackers. It was really opulent. There was also a big York ham that was decorated.”
© Kensington PalaceKing Charles made the choice to ban foie gras in all royal residences, so now, another could be served on the unfold.
“Then after carving all of the meat, the Queen would then ask the steward to pour the Head Chef a drink and he’d get a whisky and they’d toast him and say thank you, and that was them saying thank you for the whole year.”
Darren, writer of Eating Royally, additionally labored for the late Princess Diana till her loss of life in 1997. He noticed the boys, William and Harry, develop up at Kensington Palace. His favorite recollections, naturally, contain the People’s Princess. “I always used to enjoy when Princess Diana was there,” mentioned Darren. “She’d come into the kitchen and she used to love the crepe soufflé dessert. I’d always put that on the menu because I knew it was her favourite.
“She would have lunch after which – bless her – she would come down into the kitchen as soon as everybody had left the desk and say, ‘Ooh, is there any of the crepe soufflé left?’ When the tray got here again I’d all the time put it within the hotter as a result of I knew she’d be down. She mentioned, ‘I really like this pudding and I’m too scared to ask for seconds in entrance of the Queen!'”
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