Queen Elizabeth's divisive breakfast that "fascinated" her as a teenager is something that definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
The Royal Family’s eating habits are always a source of fascination for fans, from the foods they’re apparently banned from eating to the bizarre sandwich rule that stems from long standing superstition. The late Queen Elizabeth is said to have had various preferences when it came to her food including a reported ban on garlic and not using too many onions, as well as her dedication to keeping up the tradition of having afternoon tea. Delicious sandwiches and little cakes are something many of us can get on board with though Queen Elizabeth’s divisive breakfast isn’t going to suit everyone’s taste.
In his book, Dinner at Buckingham Palace, royal author Charles Oliver claimed that Her Majesty had been "partial to kippers since the war years" and apparently even learnt how to cook them herself after being "fascinated" by their appealing smell.
According to Charles, the then-Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret picked up a "compelling smell" one day when they were exploring Windsor Castle and the rest became breakfast history.
"Fascinated, they traced the smell to its source and found themselves outside the private kitchen of Mrs Alice Bruce, then housekeeper at the castle," he alleged in his book. "They politely knocked on the door and were welcomed into the old-fashioned kitchen with its great iron oven range - and its frying kippers."
Charles, whose book includes his personal recollections from his time working at residences like Buckingham Palace and Balmoral, explained that Mrs Bruce supposedly gave the Princesses "their first taste of kipper and showed them how to cook the fish as well".
"Kippers, in a number of uncomplicated variations, have remained a favourite with the Queen ever since - for breakfast, as a savoury or a late-night supper," he added.
Although definitely very popular once, nowadays many of us might not be quite as eager to sit down to a plate of kippers for breakfast. Though Queen Elizabeth’s divisive breakfast was something she continued to love throughout her life, she apparently didn’t stick loyally to kippers all the time. Instead, the late Queen is said to have also been partial to a bowl of good old cereal.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady previously claimed, as per Express.co.uk, that Queen Elizabeth was served breakfast at 8:30am and had several options presented to her, including Kellogg's Special K. Other options were apparently marmalade on toast and scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, though Kellogg's held a Royal Warrant in her reign and she reportedly liked to add some fresh fruit to her Special K to give it a twist.
Whilst Queen Elizabeth might have embraced this American breakfast cereal brand as well as her beloved kippers, for big family gatherings she’s understood to have preferred going even more traditional. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Darren once revealed the menu that the Royal Family used to tuck into over the festive period, including their old-fashioned Christmas dinner in the evening on Christmas Day.
"When I was there it was traditional, Old English cuisine: a stuffed boar’s head on platters, ox tongue and boiled and roasted hams, salmon and game," he claimed.
This does sound very unusual fair for Christmas Day night, though this showcased Queen Elizabeth's love of traditional meals as well as more modern ones.
