food

From Special K to an afternoon treat, this is what the Queen eats every single day.

If you were a royal, and had a personal chef working at your every beck and call, what would you choose to eat?

Would it be the finest of food, or the junk kind? Or would it fall somewhere in between?

For the Queen, who is 91 next month, it’s neither. The Telegraph have investigated the long-reigning monarch’s food preferences and they’re a little, how do you say, beige?

Every week, Queen Elizabeth flicks through a red leather-bound book of menu suggestions from the head chef of the household, Mark Flanagan. Presumbly, she would not spared quality, quantity or variety, but that’s not something she dwells on nor is it something she finds great joy in.

Darren McGrady, a former chef in the royal kitchens, told The Telegraph the Queen is “not a foodie. She eats to live, unlike Prince Philip who loves to eat and would stand and talk food all day,” which goes some way towards explaining her choices of food throughout the day.

Breakfast

Breakfast is uncomplicated for her royal highness. A bowl of cereal — she has a penchant for Special K — and some fruit.

McGrady adds that, “The Queen loved scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a grating of truffle. But she was too frugal to ever order fresh truffles and only really enjoyed them at Christmas when the truffles were sent as a gift.”

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Lunch

Having your own personal chef means lunch isn't your everyday tuna salad or ham and cheese sandwich. Nay, Queen Elizabeth has a little too much class to get nibbly on a jam-packed toastie.

Instead, lunch might be some fish with some vegetables. McGrady says she doesn't mind some grilled Dover sole with wilted spinach or courgettes, which sounds particularly royal in itself.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is a must for the Queen, who has a little bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to a 3pm pick-me-up. A chocolate fan, McGrady says afternoon tea often involved some form of chocolate, whether that be in the form of a  chocolate perfection pie or chocolate biscuit cake.

Dinner

Dinner, like many others around the world, involves a fillet of some kind.

We're talking fillets of beef or venison, pheasant, or salmon from farms in Sandringham and Balmoral. Often, they're turned into Gaelic steak, served with a sauce of mushroom, cream and whisky. And she definitely doesn't do rare.

And as for how she stays so in shape, and so healthy, as she gets older?

“When she dines on her own,” says McGrady, “she’s very disciplined. No starch is the rule. No potatoes, rice or pasta for dinner. Just usually something like grilled sole with vegetables and salad.”