The Royal Family’s unique mealtime preferences revealed by former royal patisserie chef

The Royal Family’s unique mealtime preferences have been revealed by a former royal patisserie chef and they’re truly surprising. 

• It’s been suggested that the Royal Family eat their meals off different plates depending on the time of day. 
• A former Windsor Castle patisserie chef has claimed that there were “certain plates” that had to be used for service in the morning, lunchtime and evening.   
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton’s bold blazer in Boston channeled the spirit of the Earthshot Prize. 

The Royal Family are known for their rather intriguing food preferences and dining habits, from the common foods the royals are banned from eating to the late Queen’s bizarre way of eating hamburgers. However, it seems that it’s not just what and how they enjoy eating their favorite meals that is so often intriguing, but the plates they eat off too. The Royal Family’s unique mealtime preferences when it comes to how their food is served have been revealed by a former royal patisserie chef and let’s just say the time of day is very important...

Getting candid on behalf of Slingo about her experience working in the Windsor Castle pastry kitchen, Fiona Burton has claimed that whilst many people might have “good crockery” and everyday plates, the royals have three types of plates.

Whilst admitting that she “can’t divulge too much”, Fiona confessed that there were “certain plates” that they had to use in the mornings, at lunchtime and in the evenings.

“[T]here were certain plates that we had to use for service, so it was bronze in the morning, silver for lunch and gold at night,” she shared, before revealing, “It was one of my duties to go and collect them and polish them.”

The Royal Family’s unique mealtime preferences for moving through three types of crockery across the source of the day is rather surprising. In sporting events bronze, silver and gold denote third, second and first place, but it’s not clear if a similar tier system was attached to the color of the plates.

Though it certainly adds a sense of glamor as well as providing a clear, visual indication of the time of day. This also wasn’t the only revelation made by the former royal patisserie chef, as Fiona also described Prince Philip as a “regular” visitor to the palace kitchen.

“[W]hen he did come into the pastry kitchen, he was interested in what we were making, it wasn’t necessarily requests for anything. At that point, that’s when you’re allowed to engage and acknowledge,” she said. “That was pretty special because he was the one out of all [of the royals] that ever came down and wandered around. He was the one who would actually talk to us.” 

Following the Duke of Edinburgh's death in April 2021, Prince Harry dubbed him the “master of the barbecue”, highlighting his grandfather’s interest in cooking and grilling in particular. 

Prince Philip’s culinary prowess was also remarked upon by Prince William in the BBC Prince Philip documentary where he said, “Every barbecue that I’ve ever been on, the Duke of Edinburgh has been there cooking. We go on barbecues, and there’s no chef, there’s [no-one] else.”

His keen interest in cooking could perhaps be seen in his reported visits to the palace kitchen. And though his relaxed outdoor barbeques might not have been served in line with the Royal Family’s unique mealtime preferences of bronze, silver and gold plates, this intriguing tradition within the palaces could perhaps have endured to this day.