or
Sign in with lockrMail

King Charles and Queen Camilla's Christmas Menu Is Blasted as 'Boring' by Former Royal Chef

king charles
Source: MEGA

King Charles III and Queen Camilla pictured in December 2023.

Dec. 19 2023, Published 6:51 p.m. ET

Link to FacebookShare to XShare to FlipboardShare to Email

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to host their second Sandringham Christmas lunch as king and queen, but their menu is not winning rave reviews.

"They're actually boring when it comes to festivities. They didn't do hams or anything, just traditional turkeys," former royal chef Darren McGrady told an outlet.

Article continues below advertisement
king charles
Source: MEGA

King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Sandringham House, December 25, 2022.

"We did three turkeys for the Queen and her family in the royal dining room, one for the children's nursery, and then more for the 100 or so staff, so everyone had a Christmas lunch," McGrady added when discussing his time working as a chef for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The luncheon will follow a round of pre-lunch drinks, which is a tradition the royal family has held for decades. The day typically starts around 9 AM for the monarch, consort, attending royals, and any other guests. After breakfast, the royal congregation attends an 11 AM Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the grounds of Sandringham House, which has also become a tradition in recent years.

Members of the local community and royal fans gather near the long walkway to the church to watch the royal family walk to and from the main house. After drink and lunch, the King's annual speech to the nation airs at 3 PM, and it is optional as to whether guests watch the speech or not. The late Queen made it mandatory for all royals and guests to gather around the television to watch her speech unfold.

Article continues below advertisement
princess diana
Source: MEGA

Diana, Princess of Wales, at Sandringham House on a windy Christmas Day, 1990.

In addition to standard practices, Christmas at Sandringham also comes with some strange rituals that have developed over the centuries.

One custom is called "the weigh-in," which was a particular favorite of Elizabeth II's and one of Diana, Princess of Wales's most dreaded. Starting during the reign of King Edward VII in the 1900s, the tradition finds guests weighing themselves on scales as they arrive and later depart from the grand country home. This was the King's wish to ensure his family and guests were "well-fed" during their stay.

Article continues below advertisement
queen victoria
Source: MEGA

Many of the British royal family's Christmas traditions are said to have developed during the reign of Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century.

Diana allegedly despised the weird practice, in large part because she struggled with both bulimia and anorexia during the 1980s. It is unknown if King Charles III has maintained the ritual, but it is believed he kept the tradition of the royal family all gathering to open their presents on Christmas Eve and not the next morning as many of his subjects do. This is a German practice first reported to have begun during the reign of Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century.

Unlike Elizabeth II, who stayed at Sandringham until early February each year, King Charles is expected to move his court back to London in mid-January.

Article continues below advertisement
prince william
Source: MEGA

Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, at Sandringham House in September 2022.

Source: TRO

Daily Express reported on McGrady's comments.

Advertisement

GET BREAKING ROYAL NEWS
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

More Stories

Opt-out of personalized ads

© Copyright 2024 THE ROYAL OBSERVER™️. A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC. THE ROYAL OBSERVER is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.