Princess Diana’s Personal Chef Reveals The Secrets of Her Eating Habits

Princess Diana endures in our cultural memory, earning the moniker “The People’s Princess” for a reason. The unending fascination with every facet of her life was evident when her personal chef revealed new surprising details about her daily dietary choices.

Today we will take a look at some of the most interesting tidbits that Dana’s chef has given away over the years.

Chef to the Royal Family

McGrady had been cooking for the Royal Family since 1982 when he began working as a chef to the Queen and Prince Philip. He stepped out of his long-time comfort zone to take the job as Diana’s private chef at Kensington Palace.

While she was still a Princess at this time, her marriage to Prince Charles was well on its way to being over.

He Spilled the Tea

In a candid 2017 Marie Claire interview, McGrady, the culinary maestro behind the royal kitchen, spilled the delectable details of Princess Diana’s dining rituals. He described how different the rituals of the sophisticated royal family could be compared to the more down to earth nature of Diana.

Late for Dinner

In a delightful revelation, McGrady unveiled a charming quirk in the Queen Mother’s dining routine. She was always told that dinner was scheduled 15 minutes earlier than it actually was. Why the deception?

Well, the Queen Mother had a habit of fashionably arriving a tad behind schedule, and the royal kitchen gracefully adjusted to her poor sense of timing.

The Taste of Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth had a penchant for estate delicacies like game birds—pheasants, grouse, partridge. However, garlic was a royal foe, earning its place on the “disliked” list for both taste and aroma.

On the sweeter side, chocolate ruled her heart, but there was no room for milk chocolate frivolities. For the queen, it had to be the deep, rich allure of dark chocolate—because, as McGrady put it, the darker, the better!