The Historic Moment When FDR Served Hot Dogs To Royalty

The eating habits and lifestyles of royalty have long fascinated the best of us on this side of the pond. It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, on the other hand, who introduced English royalty to the most American of repasts. He served King George VI and Queen Elizabeth — parents of the belated Elizabeth II and grandparents of the current King Charles — their first hot dogs.

In June 1939, as part of an American tour, the King and Queen were guests of FDR and his family at the president's Hyde Park, New York mansion — which, ironically, he called a "cottage." The weather was nice, so hot dogs were the star of the outdoor picnic. According to HistoryNet, the Queen was so bemused by the hot dog that she had to ask FDR how to eat it. "Very simple," he explained. "Push it into your mouth and keep pushing it until it is all gone." That must not have seemed sufficiently ladylike to the Queen, who opted for a knife and fork. It's unknown whether she also asked what hot dogs are made of, which might have made for another awkward answer! 

Today, we know a great hack for transporting hot dogs to a picnic, but FDR had his glizzies served to his royal guests on a silver platter. The King was apparently so impressed with his first hot dog that he asked for seconds ... and he even washed his 'dogs down with some brewski.

According to Brittanica, FDR took a lot of heat in the press for the perceived audacity of serving peasant food like hot dogs and beer to esteemed royalty, but the king and queen's visit was regarded a success. Today, Brits enjoy hot dogs just as much as Yanks. That's not surprising, considering the cultural diffusion of the hot dog from Europe to America (and back again!), and the long love affair that Britons already had with sausages of all types. Really, the Commonwealth's embrace of hot dogs was probably always a foregone conclusion.

To start with, the American hot dog may have had its roots in Germany, a lot closer to Buckingham Palace than New York State. German immigrants working as butchers brought their sausage-making traditions to NYC in the 19th century, and there's a common (possibly apocryphal) tale about a German butcher with a pushcart selling the first wieners wrapped in bread. 

Meanwhile, across the pond, Brits had been dining on sausages, which they frequently call "bangers," since the ancient days of Roman occupation. Different parts of the country were known for their unique takes on sausage fillings and preparation (kind of like how we have regional hot dog styles in the US). In other words, these were folks who were primed to love hot dogs. As a matter of fact, Queen Elizabeth II would later return the hospitality paid to her parents by serving hot dogs to members of the American Bar Association who were welcomed to her palace for a garden party!