Foods the royals avoid eating

Former royal butler and etiquette expert Grant Harold previously told the Daily Express: “When dining, the Royal Family has to be careful with shellfish due to shellfish poisoning. You will not normally find this on the royal menu.”

Shellfish, including prawns and crab, carry a higher risk of food poisoning, as they’re often eaten uncooked and can accumulate bacteria from their surrounding water. So to mitigate risk, you won’t find the royals tucking into some Whitstable oysters.

Notorious for causing bad breath, garlic is firmly off the menu for the Royal Family – confirmed by Queen Camilla herself.

During an appearance on MasterChef Australia in 2018, she was asked about prohibited Royal foods, to which she responded: “I hate to say this, but garlic. Garlic is a no-no.” Given the royals’ packed schedule of public engagements, it’s easy to see why they steer clear of this one!

While this French delicacy is often considered a hallmark of luxury dining, it has been firmly off the royal menu for years. King Charles has long forbidden the dish from being served at royal residences, including Buckingham Palace.

In an open letter to animal rights activists in 2008, he made his stance clear, stating: “I just wanted to reassure you that The Prince of Wales has a policy that his chefs should not buy foie gras.”

While we’re all very particular about how we take our cuppa, there’s one teatime classic that’s notably absent in many of the royal households: sugar. Grant Harrold, King Charles’ personal butler at Highgrove from 2004 to 2011, revealed that he had never seen anyone in the Royal Family choose to have sugar in their tea, despite being offered so.

Preferring to stay away from artificial sweeteners, King Charles is known for adding honey to his tea, which is fitting, seeing as he’s known for having many beehives at his Highgrove House home in Tetbury and has supported numerous community beekeeping programmes.

Keeping with the theme of avoiding processed sugars, King Charles is also reportedly not a fan of chocolate – unlike his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who reportedly had a big sweet tooth.

“Charles goes more for the fruit options,” former royal chef Darren McGrady explained. “He would much rather have an orange, olive oil tea cake, or banana bread.” Sounds delicious – can we pop by for a slice?

Similarly to shellfish, the royals will avoid raw and rare meats that could be harbingers of bacteria and cause food poisoning.

Darren McGrady also revealed that Princess Diana never ate red meat, aside from lamb, when she was entertaining. So while the royals have their own preferences for how they eat their meat, you’re unlikely to find steak tartare on the menu.

When dining alone, the late Queen Elizabeth II preferred to abstain from starchy carbs like pasta, bread, and potatoes, electing to eat grilled fish or chicken with vegetables on the side.

While good in moderation, these heavier foods were notably absent from her midday meals, helping to maintain energy levels – especially during long days of royal duties.