What the royals eat at home

We wanted to honor Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in some fashion – and how better than this behind-the-scenes look at what the royal family has eaten through the most recent generations? The variety has been quite astounding, even ignoring Edward VII’s gargantuan menus. As Rachel Cooke in The Observer notes, “And so it continues, the strange coupling of decadence and moderation. The royals remind me of the friend who points out, when the bill comes, that they did not have pudding – shortly before announcing they are off to their new second home for the weekend.”

And there is a strong contrast between the generations. We’re still trying to get our tastebuds around Queen Victoria’s favorite drink, a mixture of claret and whisky, but that’s a lot more fun than George VI’s complete prohibition of wine during WWII (while insisting that mashed potates be served with everything). And from afar, it’s hard to imagine the Duke of Edinburgh happily barbecuing outdoors, but not so hard to understand the Prince of Wales’ obsession with the perfect four-minute egg.

Enjoy!