The Royal Family Has Rigid Rules Regarding This Type Of Meal
Under her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II, members of the British monarchy observed strict protocols when it came to eating. There are certain foods the royal family practically never eats for reasons ranging from possible bad breath (garlic) to the high potential for gastrointestinal upset (raw meat and seafood). But there is one especially baffling meal that QEII usually wouldn't touch. That was any sort of finger food, or foods eaten with the hands. "Her Majesty's Victorian upbringing dictates that the only thing you would pick up and eat with your fingers is afternoon tea," former palace chef Darren McGrady explained to Business Insider in 2020.
Like any big family, royals past and present have been known to enjoy some foods more than others. The British royal family all have their favorite drinks — King Charles reportedly likes a wet martini — and preferred dinners. Prince William likes pasta, Princess Kate loves spicy foods, and Duchess Meghan is a fan of fish tacos. Under Queen Elizabeth's reign, however, official meals and those eaten en famille needed to follow certain guidelines. Within the strict confines of her diet, which was rather bland and Spartan, almost all foods minus the midday meal were to be consumed with a knife and fork — including some that you might never imagine could be eaten that way.
Except at teatime, eating with hands was a royal no-go
Queen Elizabeth II never ate a burger the traditional way, McGrady noted. She was partial to venison patties made from deer hunted right on the ground of Balmoral in Scotland, but they were never served with a bun ... they were only eaten with utensils. Undoubtedly, palace cooks knew all the essential tips for grilling perfect burgers, but you'd never see the royals pick them up! McGrady also reported that he never served pizza to the queen in 11 years of service. This topic was mentioned indirectly by Princess Kate in 2019 when a group of schoolchildren asked if QEII liked pizza. Kate said that she wasn't sure and would have to ask her majesty. Most astonishingly, as McGrady wrote in his book, "Eating Royally," the queen did not eat bananas the normal way. Rather, she cut each end off with a knife and fork, pared the skin away, and ate the fruit with utensils, one dainty slice at a time.
As McGrady confirmed, exceptions were made for afternoon tea, which was said to be her favorite meal. This oh-so-proper repast was served on Wedgwood china and included two different sandwiches with the crusts cut off and several sweets, among them a daily rotation of scones. The tea had to be Twinings Earl Grey, and it had to be piping hot. Her Majesty reportedly loved tiny jam sandwiches at teatime, leading us to wonder if she ever licked her fingers when no one was watching!