Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Just Confirmed This Weird Royal Rule
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles, just confirmed the rumor that royals are not allowed to eat garlic on official visits. She said the reason for the rule is to avoid bad breath while talking with diplomats from other countries.

Being royal means following a lot of strict rules (opens in new tab). Among the rules royals have to live by: No playing monopoly (opens in new tab), no dark nail polish (opens in new tab), and no garlic (opens in new tab)—at least not during official events.
The anti-garlic rule made headlines last month because the newest member of the royal family, Meghan Markle (opens in new tab), is a self-declared foodie (opens in new tab) and, therefore, might have some trouble adhering to that particular rule. We held out hope for Meghan's sake that it was just a royal rumor, but alas. Now, Camilla Parker Bowles (aka the Duchess of Cornwall, aka Prince Charles' wife) has confirmed that the royal garlic ban is real.
During an appearance on MasterChef Australia, Camilla was asked about foods that are off the table (pun intended) at royal events.
"I hate to say this, but garlic. Garlic is a no-no," she said, according to AOL (opens in new tab).
"So garlic is a no-no?" Gary Mehigan, one of the judges on the show, asked. "Because you’re talking, chatting?"
"Yes, exactly. So you always have to lay off the garlic," Camilla replied.
This is in line with the reasons that circulated when the story made the rounds in June.
Per Sunday Express (opens in new tab): "Garlic is banned from being included in foods eaten by royal family members. With many meetings between official visitors, it is thought to be advised against to prevent any awkward bad breath."
A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge) (opens in new tab)
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What's more, Queen Elizabeth reportedly isn't a fan of garlic anyway, which means its ban will likely stay in place for the remainder of her reign, at the very least.
"We can never serve anything with garlic or too much onions," Darren McGrady, royal chef at Buckingham Palace, explained to RecipesPlus (opens in new tab). "The Queen would never have garlic on the menu."
Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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