Former Royal Chef Says Princess Anne Is "Her Father's Daughter" and Shares Her Hilariously Blunt Balmoral Remark
Darren McGrady weighed in on the comments Charles Spencer made about the Princess Royal in his new book.
Prince Philip was known for his famously deadpan—and sometimes inappropriate—remarks over the years, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to his no-nonsense daughter, Princess Anne. Although the off-color comments her father made aren't the Princess Royal's style, she's famous for her directness, as former royal chef Darren McGrady recently shared on Instagram.
McGrady worked as a chef at Buckingham Palace before serving Princess Diana at Kensington Palace, and he weighed in on a claim that Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, made in his new book, Swan Song. Earl Spencer wrote that he was seated next to Princess Anne at a pre-wedding dinner for Diana and Prince Charles in 1981, and when he asked her how her daughter Zara's christening had gone, Anne made him "feel small."
According to Spencer, the Princess Royal "stopped, looked at me witheringly, and asked, 'Tell me, how's a christening supposed to go?'" He continued, "And I, being 17 and clueless about dinner party small talk, turned red and looked at my plate, unable to conjure up a reply."
Charles Spencer (center, bottom of photo) stands across from members of the Royal Family, including Princess Anne (far left, back row) at the altar during Princess Diana and Prince Charles's wedding.
Princess Anne is pictured kicking off a race on September 28.
Spencer noted that other family members had an easier time at the dinner, writing, "It was the luck of the draw that night, whether you were placed next to a royal who was happy to make you feel small, or one who had the grace and manners to look for common ground, wherever it might be found."
Sharing an image of a story in the Daily Mail about the incident, McGrady wrote, "Oh this just tickles me. Typical no nonsense Princess Royal (love her) Her father’s daughter."
He added that Earl Spencer's story made him think of the time he saw Princess Anne deliver a similar remark to someone when he was working for the palace.
"Reminds me of when I flew back from Balmoral with her on the Queen’s flight," McGrady wrote. "As we disembarked an official asked her 'how was your flight?' She replied 'have you ever flown before? It was like that!'"
