Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · August 22, 2025 · Entertainment

Royal Recipes Revealed: The Surprisingly Normal Summer Eats of King Charles and the Royal Family

King Charles's former chef has opened up about the Royal Family 's summer holidays, including their surprisingly normal routine at Balmoral

The Royal Family's Secret Summer Routines Revealed!

Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the British Royal Family, where lavish parties and state visits give way to surprisingly normal family time. Darren McGrady, former chef to the royals for 15 years, spills all about their summer habits in an exclusive interview with The Scholarly Note.

As it turns out, the Queen's favorite summer spot wasn't a luxurious villa or a trendy resort – but her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland! And when she wasn't busy ruling the kingdom, she loved nothing more than spending time with her family, enjoying simple yet delicious meals made from locally sourced ingredients.

When the late Prince Philip fancied a barbecue, everyone knew about it and the kitchen staff quickly sprang into action

A Picnic Fit for Royalty

When Queen Elizabeth II and her ladies-in-waiting went on picnics, they didn't exactly pack a fancy basket. "We would make sandwiches and fruit salad," Darren reveals. "No elaborate finger foods or canapés – just good old-fashioned comfort food." And what about dessert? Well, that's where things got really interesting... Christmas Pudding in July?!

That's right! The royal family had a special tradition of enjoying Christmas pudding all year round. "We would make rectangular Christmas puddings in September and save them for the summer months," Darren explains. "They'd be sliced into little fingers and served with a dollop of cream." Talk about a sweet surprise!

Darren revealed while at Balmoral he would prepare sandwiches and fruit and cream for the late Queen Elizabeth and her ladies-in-waiting to enjoy on picnics (Queen Elizabeth during a picnic lunch in 1976)

The Queen's Favorite Fruit

But what did the royal family love to eat most during their Balmoral holidays? Fresh fruit, of course! "We'd have an abundance of raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, red currants, and gooseberries from the estate," Darren says. "And instead of pineapple, we'd have a bowl of fresh fruit with a jug of cream shipped up from Windsor Castle every week." Yum!

Prince Philip's BBQ Secrets

Darren McGrady, who worked for the royals for 15 years, travelled around the world with the family ensuring they had their favourite, high-quality meals wherever they went

But what about Prince Philip? The late Duke of Edinburgh was known for his love of barbecues, and Darren reveals that the royal family would often pack food in Tupperware containers to take on their adventures. "If we were going out for a stag-hunting lunch," Darren explains, "we'd make robust sandwiches with game pie and plum pudding." Talk about a hearty meal!

Life on the Royal Yacht Britannia

And when the royal family was traveling the world by sea, life on the Royal Yacht Britannia was just as exciting. "We would have to get the food onto the yacht at least a month before so it had time to sail," Darren says. "Everything was in boxes with red numbered tags – we'd fly and meet the yacht, and then bring up these boxes." Talk about planning ahead!

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend a barbeque in Canberra during the Royal Tour of Australia, in April 1970

The Kitchens on the Royal Yacht

But behind the scenes, life in the yacht's kitchens was a whole different story. "We had no air conditioning," Darren reveals, "so if we were in Australia and it was 80 degrees outside, you didn't have AC in the kitchen." And don't even get him started on trying to set chocolate cakes in the heat! "I'd take them into the royal dining room, sit them on the table, and then whisk them out quickly before the royals arrived," he chuckles.

The Royal Family's Secret Routine

Life at Balmoral wasn¿t all formal dinners, a lot of meals were taken out in the wild

So what did a typical day look like for the royal family during their summer holidays? According to Darren, it was all about simplicity and quality over quantity. "They would start with a first course, then have a main course with a salad, followed by pudding (which is what we call dessert)," he explains. "After pudding came dessert – which was always fresh fruit."

Charles' Favorite Snack

But one person who didn't quite fit the mold was Prince Charles. "He wouldn't eat lunch, but if he did, it would be a sandwich with an easel and go out painting for hours on end," Darren reveals. Talk about multitasking!

Despite having the world's finest ingredients at her fingertips, the late Queen preferred to keep things seasonal and eat from the Balmoral garden ingredients, with Darren saying she couldn't be happy if strawberries were on the menu in winter

A Royal Family's Secret to Success

So what was the secret to the royal family's happy and healthy summer routines? According to Darren, it all came down to simplicity and quality ingredients. "The Queen would only eat seasonally – she wouldn't be pleased if strawberries were on the menu in winter," he says. And when it came to food waste, there was zero tolerance. "If a cut of meat was left over from the previous day, it went into sandwiches," Darren reveals.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Royal Life

The 412 foot Royal Yacht Britannia was launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953

As we gaze back on these royal summer routines, one thing is clear: the British Royal Family may have their luxuries and privileges, but when it comes to food and family time, they're just like us. Simple, delicious meals made with love – that's what it's all about.

Sources: The Scholarly Note

He also opened up about life on the Royal Yacht Britannia, which he worked on for 11 years, and explained how they always ensured their ingredients were of the highest quality, regardless of where they were in the world (The Royal Yacht Britannia dining room in the 1990s)