Bizarre Reason Why Queen Elizabeth Once Weighed Meghan Markle and Her Mom During The Holidays

Queen Elizabeth II was a stickler for royal protocols, upholding them both in public and behind closed doors. One bizarre protocol involves weighing every royal family member before and after Christmas dinner. A royal expert claimed the Queen once also weighed Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland, during a royal Christmas dinner as part of the tradition.

As one of history’s most prominent families, it’s no surprise that the British royals follow centuries-old traditions. Royal expert Ingrid Seward told Grazia that the Queen expects every guest at the Christmas feast to weigh themselves after dinner using antique scales. She revealed that Markle and her mother, Ragland, likely had to too during their 2018 Christmas dinner. The bizarre custom is to ensure that guests are having a great time and are being 'well fed'. As reported by Fox News, the tradition dates back to King Edward VII's reign in the early 1900s and applies to all members of the royal clan.

Seward at the time, shared, “Doria will arrive on Christmas Eve. After her luggage is unloaded, there will be a present-giving ceremony after tea. The presents are laid out in the drawing room on trestle tables covered with white linen tablecloths.” According to the Daily Express, Ragland impressed the Queen so much that she received a rare Christmas dinner invitation—despite not being a royal. Even the Middletons were never invited, as Sandringham celebrations are strictly reserved for the royal family. Seward added, “It is unusual for an outsider to be invited, but the royal family does change. I'm sure the royals will do everything in their power to make Doria feel at home.”

A typical Christmas feast at the Sandringham estate is no short of a fairytale. Spilling details about seating placements, Seward said, “Guests are expected to enter the dining room in order of seniority. Then the head chef carves the turkey, and after lunch, the crackers are pulled. Paper hats are donned, but not by the Queen.” To 'make room' for their lavish afternoon tea, the royal family then walks the grounds of the Sandringham estate and proceeds to enjoy a 'candlelit dinner in the dining room.'

As for Markle's first Christmas in the royal fold, the Queen was highly impressed when she reportedly gifted her a singing hamster toy in 2017. As reported by the Daily Express, royal correspondent, Simon Vigor, told Channel 5, “Meghan played a blinder on her first Christmas. She got a toy—a singing hamster for the Queen, and apparently she loved it…and so did the corgis.” Former BBC Correspondent, Jennie Bond, believed she used the 2017 Christmas invitation to charm the royal family.