There's no question that the late Prince Philip really and truly loved his wife ... even if
she was also his sovereign ruler. Plenty of outlets have referred to their 73-year marriage
as a Disney-caliber royal love story.
Even the most devoted pair, however, needs a little time apart — and in Prince Philip's
case, his preferred "me time" took place at mealtimes.
So why wouldn't he enjoy eating with his wife? Surely her royal highness couldn't possibly
have bad table manners? After all, 69 years on the throne must have ingrained in her the
most impeccable etiquette. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, Prince Philip and
Queen Elizabeth simply had very different tastes when it came to food.
As Chef McGrady dished to Delish in a video clip,
"Prince Philip has a much broader palate than Her Majesty when it comes to food. The Queen
eats to live, whereas Prince Philip lives to eat."
As the couple had their meals prepared by the royal chefs, obviously each meal they
shared was prepared exactly the way the queen liked it, since she's not just the head of
the household but the head of the entire nation. So yeah, that crown means that if she says
no garlic, then that means no garlic.
When the queen's away, the mice will play, though, and break a few of those royal food
rules.
As the chef put it, Prince Philip could typically only enjoy his very favorite meals when the
Queen was away on royal business. He said,
"I think sometimes, Prince Philip actually enjoyed eating on his own."
And what did he like to eat? According to McGrady, the prince loved woodcock, grouse,
and spicy foods, and that he was also fond of collecting recipes from all around the
world on his extensive travels.
The royal couple reportedly had a tendency to share breakfast, and their staple foods
just might be things that you recognize.
According to the Daily Mail, the first meal of the royal couple's day took place at 8:30
a.m. He would have coffee, she would have Earl Grey tea, and they would dine upon fruit,
yogurt, and cereal, with the cereal reportedly being stored in rather mundane plastic tubs.
They also had two types of marmalade upon the table for the queen's toast, as well as
a bottle of maple syrup for whatever purpose the couple might fancy. It might have served
as a reminder of those overseas subjects in the Great White North, but we like to think
they might have shared a secret fondness for waffles, much like their great-grandson, baby
Archie.
"My grandmother asked us what Archie wanted for Christmas, and Meg said 'a waffle maker.'
She sent us a waffle maker."
The book Dinner at Buckingham Palace by former royal footman Charles Oliver revealed another
hobby of Prince Philip's that you and he may have had in common: He loved to cook. Oliver
said the prince specialized in breakfast dishes including bacon, eggs, sausages, and kidneys.
With evening meals, he really went all-out. As Oliver wrote in his book on the topic,
"The Prince is also adept at producing quick, light supper snacks, which he and the Queen
often enjoy after they have dismissed the servants for the night."
The snacks Prince Philip produced ranged from scrambled eggs with smoked haddock to butter-sautéed
mushrooms and bacon to a dish called Scotch woodcock that consists of scrambled eggs and
anchovies on toast.
During visits to Balmoral Castle, the family's Scottish "summer cottage," Prince Philip enjoyed
a pastime common to many a suburban dad all over the world. That's right — according
to the author, this relatable royal had a habit of firing the grill up, grill maybe
three, four, five times a week," although instead of hot dogs and hamburgers, he'd more
likely be barbecuing fresh-caught salmon or wild game.
On one occasion, Prince Philip even cooked a lamb dinner for the Sandringham House kitchen
staff. As Darren McGrady described the incident, "He actually cooked on the grill that night
— he cooked for me!"
"There was I, his chef! I mean what was I supposed to do, go out and do royal engagements
while he was doing my job in the kitchen?"
The palace kitchens just won't be the same without everyone's favorite guest chef and
snack seeker in residence. Philip, you are sorely missed, but we'll be sure to think
of you from now on every time we have lamb chops for dinner.
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