Every aspect of the British Royal Family’s life draws fascination, including their diet. Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed in 2020 that Queen Elizabeth II has never eaten pizza, at least during his 15-year tenure with the family. McGrady claimed the queen has a no-carbohydrates diet, which could be why she doesn’t eat pizza.
“In the years that I cooked at [Buckingham] Palace, the queen never had pizza,” McGrady told Us Weekly in July 2020. “I didn’t start cooking pizza until I moved across to Kensington Palace.”
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During the last four years of his time with the family, McGrady worked closely with the late Princess Diana. Prince William loved pizza, and he would make it for the future king frequently. “In my second cookbook, The Royal Chef at Home, there’s a chicken tikka masala pizza [recipe] because he loves Indian food. The pizza combined the two,” McGrady said.
The pizza question did not come out of anywhere. In January 2019, a child asked William’s wife, Kate Middleton, if the queen ever ate pizza since that’s what the Duchess of Cambridge made during the event. “You know, that’s such a good question. I don’t know,” Kate said. “I don’t know. Maybe next time I see her, shall I ask?”
McGrady did not explain why Queen Elizabeth doesn’t have the same tastes as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, in a June 2020 interview with The Telegraph, McGrady said the queen is strict about staying healthy and avoids carbohydrates. “When she dines on her own, she’s very disciplined,” McGrady said. “No starch is the rule. No potatoes, rice, or pasta for dinner. Just usually something like grilled sole with vegetables and salad.”
Queen Elizabeth is “not a foodie,” McGrady told The Telegraph. “She eats to live, unlike Prince Philip, who loves to eat and would stand and talk food all day,” he explained, referring to the queen’s late husband. The chef said the queen enjoys cereal and fruit for breakfast, although she sometimes might pick scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a grating of truffle. She is also a big chocolate fan and enjoys a gin and Dubonnet with a slice of lemon and ice.
The monarch also likes a chocolate ganache sponge cake recipe created by Queen Victoria’s chef. The queen “loved game too and even more so if it’s from off the estate – whether it was salmon, deer from Balmoral or maybe some venison from Sandringham,” McGrady told Us Weekly.
Queen Elizabeth II, 95, celebrates 70 years on the throne in 2022. Her health has become an increasing concern following hospitalizations last year and a battle with COVID-19. Last month, royal reporter Phil Dampier told The Telegraph the queen was having trouble walking and standing for long periods. Another source told The Daily Mail she is still “alert,” but her team has continued rolling back her duties as the U.K.’s head of state.
