Why Princess Diana allowed William and Harry to skip traditional Royal meals on Saturday nights

The Princess of Wales wanted Prince William and Prince Harry to experience a 'normal' upbringing, her former chef has revealed

Princess Diana let William and Harry skip traditional Royal meals
(Image credit: Getty)

Princess Diana made an exception to Prince William and Prince Harry's formal meal plan every Saturday night for a special reason, the late royal's former chef has revealed. 


Princess Diana tried to give Prince William and Prince Harry a 'normal' upbringing by allowing them a weekly treat enjoyed by millions of children across the UK – junk food. 

The late royal always granted her sons a break from their healthy meal plan at Kensington Palace on Saturday evenings, according to her former chef, Darren McGrady. She even let them chow down their dinner in front of the TV – a welcome change from the Royal Family's tradition of dressing formally and sitting at the dining table for a three-course banquet. 

"Princess Diana was bringing the children into the next century – she was able to say, ‘I know they’re Royal children, but they’re normal children too," McGrady explains.

Diana

(Image credit: Getty)

Speaking to Coffee Friend, the culinary expert recalled the types of food he would make for William and Harry, and let's just say, they're a far cry from the dishes served on the Royal Family's Jubilee menu. With an emphasis on convenience and palatability, they're also notably different from the meals that the Queen likes to eat

"On a Saturday night the boys could have pizza, the boys could have hamburgers and fried chicken, and things like that," he said. "It was a special treat. It was Diana’s way of showing them, you’re children too." The fast-food-style meal, which was usually devoured in the family's sitting room, would come after a week of eating their royal nanny's 'healthy' suggestions of 'roasted chicken' and 'green vegetables'. 

McGrady also shared his thoughts on how Diana would have felt about Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle if she was still alive. 

“She would be hugging those girls," he said. "I just see her hugging Charlotte, I think she’d be so proud of William and the way he has taken on these Royal duties. Seeing the Queen at 96 having to step back – if she could get out there, she would, she wants to, but she can’t physically do everything now – and to have the Prince of Wales and Wills and Kate step up and do more and more, it shows that the monarch is here for a long time to come." 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.