Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Christine Ross

Former Lady-in-Waiting Reveals Queen Elizabeth II’s “Very Floral” Secret Chocolate Habit

Queen Elizabeth's favorite chocolates.

Despite being a major historical figure of the 20th and early 21st century, the late Queen Elizabeth II was just a girl. And like most girls, she loved chocolate. Her former royal chef once revealed she was a true chocoholic, and we now know the lengths Her Majesty was willing to go to protect her special treats.

In the ITV documentary, My Years With the Queen, Lady Pamela Hicks—the late Queen’s cousin and former lady-in-waiting—revealed that Queen Elizabeth always had a box of chocolates, but she had to hide them to keep them to herself. "She does have her own box of chocolates,” Lady Pamela shared in the documentary. The former lady-in-waiting shared that the late Queen “learnt to keep them in her room otherwise, she says the family are so greedy they all eat them before she can."

Queen Elizabeth II always kept boxes of chocolates in her sitting room. (Image credit: Getty Images)
Four boxes of chocolates can be seen in her sitting room in 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Relatable. Apparently, even stashing them in her room wasn’t safe. Lady Pamela shared a story where her pet mongoose, Neola, managed to sneak into the late Queen’s private quarters. “One evening we were waiting for her to come down for dinner," explained Lady Pamela. "It was very unusual for the Queen that she was four or five minutes late. And she said to me, 'I don't mind Neola coming into my room. In fact, I quite enjoy it. I don't mind Neola opening my box of chocolates, but does he have, always, to take just a bite out of every one?’”

The Queen was said to have a deep love of animals because they did not know that she was Queen, but perhaps this was one time she wished the mongoose knew of her important role.

The late Queen Elizabeth II admires chocolate makers on a visit to Mars Chocolate in 2013. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The late Queen’s chocolates of choice came from Charbonnel et Walker, the famed British chocolatier. Charbonnel et Walker’s chief chocolatier once revealed that the Queen has “very floral tastes,” and shared that the company has a list of her all-time favourites. On an episode of ITV’s Billion Pound Bond Street, the brand’s chief chocolatier Adam Lee said “the Queen does have a list of favourite chocolates with us. But I'm not allowed to divulge that directly to you” before adding “I can just say that she has very floral tastes.” As the show continues, Lee suggests “maybe we should start with our two most popular chocolates, which are rose and violet creams. I never said a word, never said a word.”

The late Queen was also rumored to enjoy dark chocolates, mint chocolates, chocolate cakes, chocolate supreme pie—it would seem she loved all chocolates, in any form.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.