Why Queen Elizabeth Favored Comfort Food Over Foie Gras

Queen Elizabeth wears a blue and turquoise coat with a matching hat — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth was known for exhibiting iconic behavior in just about every aspect of her life, including when it came to her culinary tastes. From ordering a special menu for her corgis to her love of the "jam penny" sandwich, the late Queen clearly knew what she wanted from the Buckingham Palace chefs. In a new interview, one former royal chef has revealed why Queen Elizabeth was actually "very frugal" when it came to food.

Speaking exclusively to Heart Bingo, Darren McGrady, who worked with the Royal Family for 15 years, explained, "We didn't do anything over-the-top extravagant. The Queen was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing."

McGrady continued, "Ingredients like lobster, caviar, and foie gras were reserved for state banquets. On normal days, she was perfectly happy with comfort food, so we cooked meals like cottage pie."

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Queen Elizabeth sitting on a sofa next to a corgi — "The Queen was very frugal."

As well as preferring "comfort food" to luxurious delicacies, Queen Elizabeth reportedly had some simple dislikes, too. "There weren't banned foods, but The Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial," McGrady told the outlet. "So we didn't use garlic in her meals."

However, Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, apparently "loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties," McGrady noted.

The former royal chef also claimed, "The idea that The Queen didn't eat seafood while traveling isn't true—we regularly cooked scallops and shrimp for her."

Prince Philip holding a bottle of whiskey above a basket next to Queen Elizabeth and Pope Francis — "The Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions."

During the summer, when the Royal Family retreated to Balmoral in Scotland, the royal chefs had a few less responsibilities. "Every summer we spent 8 weeks at Balmoral," McGrady explained. "Even in bad weather, the royals would go out to the hills and cook at lodges."

The former royal chef elaborated, saying, "Prince Philip loved to grill; [King] Charles and Prince Andrew would help with sides. We'd prepare marinated meats and side dishes, and The Queen would bring ice cream in a thermos. It was a chance for them to unwind without staff."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.