Platinum Jubilee cookbook will celebrate how 'more than ever we welcome one another’s culinary heritage into our homes' says Prince Charles

The Platinum Jubilee cookbook will celebrate how British food has ‘transformed’ throughout the Queen’s reign

A Platinum Jubilee cookbook will share recipes and stories of the history of food in British diplomacy
(Image credit: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A Platinum Jubilee cookbook has been announced, and it will celebrate the importance of breaking bread with people from around the world, as per the foreword written by Prince Charles and Camilla. In their message, they praise the nation’s welcoming of “one another’s culinary heritage into our homes” and describes how the UK’s food scene has “transformed” during the Queen’s reign.


History has been made in 2022, with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee marking her 70th year on the throne—the first British monarch to reach this milestone.

Celebrations have been planned throughout the year, culminating in a concert at Buckingham Palace, and different industries are getting involved to commemorate just how much the world has changed throughout Her Majesty’s reign and how she has been witness to such transformations—and this includes food.

Food has 'transformed' throughout the Queen's reign, as different cultures and heritages have been welcomed into homes

(Image credit: Joe Giddens / POOL / AFP)

In the Platinum Jubilee cookbook, Prince Charles and Camilla’s foreword explains how “Seventy years ago, when The Queen came to the Throne, the culinary outlook in the United Kingdom was bleak...several foods were still rationed and the meager choice of ingredients on offer posed a challenge to even the most creative cook.”

They continue that “meals from other parts of the world were almost unheard of. The only option for a takeaway was the ever-faithful fish and chips; and olive oil was sold in small bottles by chemists, for medical rather than culinary use.”

Hailing how the scene has been “transformed” and “more than ever before we welcome one another’s culinary heritage into our homes – and, for this, we are deeply grateful”, the Platinum Jubilee cookbook will feature 70 recipes from British embassies and high commissions, including marmalade from the Madrid embassy and green fish curry from the Islamabad High Commission.

Food was "bleak" when the Queen took to the throne 70 years ago, Charles writes in the Platinum Jubilee cookbook

(Image credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

As well as the recipes themselves, the cookbook will include anecdotes about the use of food in British diplomacy throughout the decades.

“On all Royal Visits, food plays an important part, presenting opportunities to enjoy a taste of the host nation’s culinary heritage, while also offering a chance to share the best of British cuisine,” Charles and Camilla write.

“We recognise some of the dishes here, from the British-Malaysian fusion Rendang Beef Wellington we enjoyed in Kuala Lumpur, through to the utterly delicious whisky bread and butter pudding we enjoyed in Washington.”

The cookbook will be available to buy from April 28.

Jack Slater
Freelance writer

Jack Slater is not the Last Action Hero, but that's what comes up first when you Google him. Preferring a much more sedentary life, Jack gets his thrills by covering news, entertainment, celebrity, film and culture for woman&home, and other digital publications.


Having written for various print and online publications—ranging from national syndicates to niche magazines—Jack has written about nearly everything there is to write about, covering LGBTQ+ news, celebrity features, TV and film scoops, reviewing the latest theatre shows lighting up London’s West End and the most pressing of SEO based stories.