I've just spotted King Charles and Queen Camilla's divisive car snack and I'd much prefer Kate Middleton's travel treat instead
Out of everything the royal couple could've picked, I'm surprised it was this and the flavour really isn't for everyone
When you travel as much as the royals do, having a good supply of snacks is a must and we sometimes get a brief glimpse of their go-tos when they're getting in and out of cars. The door pockets are a handy place for them to store their refreshments and King Charles and Queen Camilla keep some rather divisive sweets in there.
The couple attended a National Independence Church Service on 1st November in Antigua and Barbuda and as Her Majesty got out of their vehicle I spotted a packet of RJ's Liquorice. This is the same snack the King had in his car when he arrived at London Fashion Week in February.
Given their positions, the King and Queen could surely request almost anything when they're travelling and yet these RJ's seem to be a favourite, at home or abroad.
I think of liquorice as the marmite of the confectionery world - people usually either love it or loathe it and I'm not a fan. It's both very sweet and also quite bitter, so perhaps that is what Queen Camilla in particular likes about it.
In 2022 she was interviewed by her restaurant critic son, Tom Parker Bowles, for You magazine and shared her dream meal which ended in "bitter chocolate ice cream" with raspberries, strawberries and clotted cream. This dessert ticks those boxes for sweetness and bitterness too, plus liquorice is easy to eat on the go.
However, when it comes to royal road trip pick-me-ups I'd have to go for the Princess of Wales's choice of coconut water instead. In June she was photographed getting out of the car when she and Prince William arrived to attend his cousin Peter Phillips' wedding.
She had what looked like a carton by Vita Coco and coconut water is brilliant for keeping you hydrated and also contains minerals like calcium and potassium. It's a very healthy choice for Kate and although as a drink it's not directly comparable to liquorice, out of these two royal car go-tos I'd rather have the coconut water.
Both options are very contained and mess-free, though the younger royals don't worry about this too much. The Prince and Princess of Wales's children regularly eat jam sandwiches in their vehicle and it sounds like their youngest gets the treat everywhere!
When he was on Heart Breakfast in May, William talked about doing the school run and explained, "Louis will leave jam fingerprints throughout the car, which is really helpful."
The love of jam sandwiches runs in the family as Queen Elizabeth used to enjoy jam penny sandwiches as part of her afternoon tea. They might be messy to eat in the car but at least they don't require cutlery and I wonder if one of Charlotte's favourite cutlery-free snacks is ever packed for trips too.
In 2018 the Princess of Wales revealed that she used to "eat lots and lots of olives" when she was little and a year later she reportedly shared that her daughter loves them. Though not quite as divisive as liquorice, olives aren't for everyone either and yet they've got the royal seal of approval.
