Former actress Meghan Markle's life completely changed on May 19th, 2018, when she married
Prince Harry and entered into the British royal family.
Because Markle didn’t come from a royal background, she had to give up several parts
of her lifestyle -- like her popular blog, social media presence, political affiliations,
and her accomplished acting career.
But the lifestyle adjustments don’t stop there -- the royal rules even dictate what
Markle can and cannot eat.
As a self-proclaimed foodie, Markle would often blog about her favorite dishes, restaurants,
and international cuisines.
Now, she can't even eat a popular ingredient used in most meals.
Here’s what Markle is prohibited from eating now that she's a member of the royal family.
Garlic
Meghan Markle has admitted that garlic is one of her favorite foods.
She uses it in her favorite recipes, like her Filipino chicken adobo.
Unfortunately, it’s one of the top foods the new duchess must now avoid.
Darren McGrady, a former Royal Chef at Buckingham Palace, told Express that, when preparing
meals for royal gatherings, "The Queen would never have garlic on the menu."
While we don’t know for sure what garlic ever did to the queen, Camilla, Duchess of
Cornwall, implied during a MasterChef Australia appearance that garlic breath would severely
impact a royal’s day-to-day interactions with, you know, important people.
Makes sense.
Here’s hoping the royal family doesn’t have to ward off a vampire anytime soon.
Shellfish
Before she became a royal, you could find Meghan Markle enjoying some seafood pasta
and sipping on a Negroni.
But now that she's on the road entertaining royal duties, her seafood habit has been put
mostly on hold.
Because shellfish can cause severe food poisoning and allergic reactions, royals are highly
discouraged from consuming it.
Clams, oysters, and mussels especially pose threats, as they almost always contain bacteria
-- including E. coli.
As one might guess, vomiting in public is unbecoming of a royal, so Markle must refrain
from consuming that shrimp cocktail until she’s in the comfort of her own home -- or
palace.
However, Prince Charles has been known to nosh on some shellfish outside of the palace.
Don’t tell mom!
Tap water
Keeping hydrated is key for Markle, who has discussed how important water is for her daily
routine.
The new Duchess was even involved with World Vision’s Clean Water campaign in Rwanda
before becoming a royal.
And while she is said to keep a steady supply of water with her all day long, if Markle
is abroad, that water better come bottled.
Tap water is off limits for Markle, especially when she's performing royal duties abroad.
Part of Markle’s duties as Duchess includes traveling the world extensively -- and having
even a sip of water from an unfamiliar faucet could bring on a whole host of issues.
According to the World Health Organization, "Contaminated water can transmit diseases
such diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio."
Be safe out there, Meghan!
Foie gras
Foie gras is considered to be a delicacy around the world, but if Markle wants to try it,
she'll have to make sure Prince Charles isn’t watching.
The process of making foie gras is actually illegal in the United Kingdom, and in 2008,
Prince Charles banned foie gras from being served at the royal palace -- while instructing
several royally appointed grocery shops to stop selling it as well.
Foie gras isn’t technically prohibited for Markle to consume -- but considering Kate
Middleton once reportedly got into a bit of trouble when she ordered the dish in front
of Camilla Parker Bowles, it’s probably best that Markle steer clear if she wants
to stay in her father-in-law’s good graces.
Spicy food
The Spice Girls might not have performed at the royal wedding, but Meghan Markle is a
spice girl in her own right.
“What’s your favorite pizza topping?”
“Chili peppers.”
Before she became a royal, Markle kept things nice and spicy by adding hot sauce to her
favorite dishes, and one of her favorite condiments is a spicy peperoncini piccanti from Terroni’s
in Toronto.
Now that she’s a royal, Markle has had to spice down her life.
According to a Women’s Health article, overly flavorful and spicy foods can result in severe
heartburn, skin irritation, and diarrhea -- three things that do not mix well with a Duchess.
However, tummy troubles don’t scare Markle’s brother-in-law.
Though he reportedly doesn’t take to spice very well, Prince William and Kate Middleton
have confessed to enjoying one spicy takeout favorite in the comfort of their own home.
“What would you have?”
“Curry!”
Exotic dishes
Markle's now defunct blog The Tig used to chronicle her travels around the world and
all the new and exciting cuisines she was able to try.
She once recalled to Delish the time she experienced Pad Thai so good that it made her question
everything she thought she knew about Thai food.
Hopefully that fond memory will stay with Markle forever, because she’ll likely have
to reel in her love for exotic cuisines.
Unfamiliar ingredients used in exotic dishes served abroad can seriously ruin a trip.
According to Smarter Travel, the foods you eat at home aren’t necessarily safer than
foods served abroad, but your body isn’t accustomed to certain microbes outside of
your country.
Sometimes it’s better to not risk it and just eat a biscuit.
Anything the Queen doesn't like
There’s a lengthy list of foods that are prohibited from being served on royal grounds
simply because the Queen doesn’t fancy them.
According to former Royal Chef Darren McGrady, potatoes, rice, pasta and other starches are
rarely served, and she refuses to eat fruits and vegetables that are out of season.
So what does she like?
The Queen typically opts for simple dishes, like poached fish and mixed vegetables.
Sounds exciting, right?
Luckily for the new Duchess, The Queen does have a penchant for dark chocolate.
Perhaps Markle's favorite red wine hot chocolate recipe will fill the carb void left by pasta.