Queen's daily meal she ate entirely with her hands revealed – plus one thing she never touched
Throughout her historic 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II became quite the creature of habit as she would reportedly follow the same precise schedule every day.
Just like King Charles does now, the late Queen had a team of some of the most talented chefs in the world working for her in multiple royal palaces - but her food tastes were certainly less than exotic.
The monarch was known to prefer simple, unfussy meals over indulgent dishes. However, according to a former royal chef, she did enjoy one type of food on a daily basis which is steeped in upper-class tradition.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady worked for the Royal Family for over 15 years and has cooked for everyone from the late Queen to the Prince of Wales.
Darren often reveals stories from his time working at the Palace and even revealed what the only food that the late Queen would eat with her hands is and the reason why.
Speaking to Insider before the monarch's death, Darren said: "Her Majesty's Victorian upbringing dictates that the only thing you would pick up and eat with your fingers is afternoon tea.
"Eleven years at the palace and we never served pizza at all, not even at receptions. The menus at Buckingham Palace are very traditional French, which wouldn't lean towards having pizza on it.”
Having her menu written in French is something that The Queen's current chef at Windsor Castle has noted before. In an article for Town and Country Magazine, Mark Flanagan said: "Her Majesty loves to have her dinner menu in French."
The head chef then added that if he gets "an accent wrong or mix up the masculine and feminine on the menus I send up for her approval, she’ll let me know. Her Majesty misses nothing!"
The tradition of taking Afternoon Tea is just about as quintessentially English as you can get. It is traditionally enjoyed between 3.30pm and 5pm and is usually served with a selection of sandwiches, scones, and small patisserie.
Darren previously said in another interview: "When I started as a young chef at Buckingham Palace, it was fascinating to see how important afternoon tea was to the Queen." He revealed that the Queen enjoys a "full afternoon tea of sandwiches and pastries."
He says: "In terms of scones - one day plain and one day with raisins folded through. Also, tiny pastries like raspberry tartlets and a cut cake, honey and cream sponge, fruit cake, banana bread, or her favourite chocolate biscuit cake. It would all be 'washed down with a delightful steaming hot cup of Earl Grey tea."
