When it came to royal meals, Queen Elizabeth stuck to simple, fresh ingredients and familiar basics that rarely wavered. Although she preferred healthy, unfussy dishes like a two-ingredient lunch (and a good gin and Dubonnet) over lavish royal spreads, she did have a few quirks. According to several sources, the late Queen enjoyed her scrambled eggs with an unusual twist.
Per Eating Well, food blogger and Welcome to My Farm host Lisa Steele said "Queen Elizabeth's secret to scrambled eggs" was one of her favorite recipes. "She reportedly loved adding a dusting of nutmeg and some lemon zest to her eggs. It sounds odd, but it's actually a nice combination," she told the publication.
Nutritionist Lee Holmes shared the recipe on her Supercharge Your Life blog shortly after the late Queen's death in 2022, writing, "Some years ago, one of my lovely friend [sic] was fortunate enough cook for the Queen and she shared with me a recipe for her favourite Scrambled Eggs. Ma’am loved to sometimes start the day with a protein packed breakfast and these eggs were tailored to the way that she particularly liked them."
Queen Elizabeth is said to have enjoyed a twist on traditional scrambled eggs.
Holmes continued that Queen Elizabeth "preferred the taste" of brown eggs, and for her eggs to be "cooked low and slow" to give the dish a creamier taste. "Occasionally they would be served with her favourite kippers, usually in her private dining room in Buckingham Palace with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea and a spot of milk," she continued.
The recipe involves whisking three brown eggs in a bowl with one tablespoon of milk and a dash of salt. Next, heat butter or olive oil in a pan, add the egg mixture and cook them on low. "Just before they are starting to set, add the lemon zest, nutmeg and extra salt, if desired and stir," Holmes wrote.
"Eggs can be a bit flat and neutral in flavor, so the lemon juice really wakes them up," Steele said of the recipe. "It adds an unexpected pop of brightness, which, let's face it, we can all use first thing in the morning."
As for her other go-to meals, former royal chef Darren McGrady recently said—speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo—that the late Queen was set in her ways. "Everyone was eager to broaden their palates and try different foods, but The Queen tended to prefer sticking with familiar favorites," he said, admitting it "was always a challenge" to get her try a new dish. If it isn't broke, why fix it?
