The practical gift Queen Elizabeth 'genuinely loved' receiving is almost too ordinary to believe

Paul Burrell has revealed the unlikely gift that the late Queen loved ‘the most’ - and you’ll have loads of it at home

: Queen Elizabeth II attends an audience with the President of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis (Not pictured) at Windsor Castle on April 28, 2022 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

When it comes to the Royal Family - what with their glamorous state dinners replete with tiaras and lavish celebrations - one might expect that Christmas is always a ritzy affair.

However, we know that the royals like to keep things more lowkey when it comes to their gift-giving, and it’s part of a cheeky tradition that Princess Catherine continued when she joined the fold.

Paul - who also served as a butler to King Charles and Princess Diana in his time within the Royal Households - revealed that "the most popular gift of all” for the late Queen was "Tupperware. Yes, Tupperware."

Queen Elizabeth at the State Opening of Parliament in May 2021

(Image credit: Getty Images)

He revealed that Her Majesty preferred receiving useful gifts, explaining the late royal would take her Tupperware “constantly for picnics."

It’s well-known that, during their summer holidays at Balmoral, the Scottish estate privately owned by the Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip would enjoy taking their children and grandchildren on picnics and BBQs.

The Tupperware she got for Christmas, therefore, was "perfect for packing a slab of butter, crackers, or cheese".

He added, "One year, Prince Edward, who was only a young lad at the time, gave her a bright yellow plastic Tupperware butter dish. Of all the gifts she received that year, that was the one she admired the most."

He continues, "It was practical, useful, and something she actually needed. And that always stayed with me: when buying for the Queen, think practical and useful."

As well as loving practical gifts, it’s been suggested that the Queen loved a comical gift.

In the book, Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that for her first Christmas with the Royal Family, Meghan Markle "bought a little hamster that sings with a little rope for Her Majesty. It was so funny, especially when the corgis tried to take hold of the toy."

The same book also makes claims that Prince Harry once gave his grandmother a hilarious gift too, "a shower cap emblazoned with the phrase, 'Ain’t life a b****’" - something which Her Majesty reportedly "loved".

Food containers and gag gifts - who knew it was so easy to buy for royalty?

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.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.