13 Meals The Royals Loved To Eat

When we speak of "the royals," we refer to members of the British monarchy. Even though the royal family no longer has any political power — and exists only in a ceremonial capacity — this group of people still captures much of the nation's attention. In England, the family is such a tabloid fixation, that they are often compared to the Kardashians, per House Beautiful. But today, it's not just the British who care about the English monarchy. With the media circus surrounding events such as Princess Diana's death, William and Kate's wedding, and the Netflix show "The Crown," a growing number of Americans are paying attention to the royals. The celebrity status of these kings, queens, princes, and princesses has led us to care about everything they do — including what the royals eat.

With a combined net worth of a whopping $28 billion, according to Cosmopolitan, members of the British monarchy can afford to have private chefs catering to their every food desire. But that doesn't mean that they don't develop a few favorite foods. Some of the royal's favorite meals are even more normal than you'd expect. Before her passing, Queen Elizabeth II reportedly preferred to drink Twinings for her daily cups of tea (via Royal Central). Other royals, like Prince Harry, stick to defining British dishes, such as Sunday roasts. But it's not all that predictable. What each member of the family prefers to eat may shock you. Read on to discover 14 meals the royals loved to eat.

Prince Philip was the late husband of Queen Elizabeth II. The pair were married for 73 years, ending with Philip's death on April 9, 2021, per BBC. Like the queen, Prince Philip lived a long life; he was 99 years old at the time of his death. Living nearly 100 years, people are eager to know what he ate. Fans of the monarchy may not be surprised to find out that the favorite dish of the late prince involved salmon, which is often considered one of the healthiest foods around. One of his most beloved meals was a dish called salmon coulibiac.

Salmon coulibiac is a Russian dish and a type of pirog, a category of Russian cuisine that refers to stuffed pies (via O Yummy). This fish-filled pirog is usually prepared with either salmon or sturgeon, along with buckwheat or rice. Other filling ingredients commonly include dill, hard-boiled eggs, and mushrooms. All of that gets wrapped in a package of puff pastry, which becomes buttery and flaky when baked. Finally, the whole thing is shaped into a loaf. This somewhat elaborate Russian recipe certainly seems fitting as a prince's favorite.

Camila Parker Bowles is the wife of King Charles III. The two have been married for just over 15 years but as fans of the royal family know, their relationship dates back much further. Although the public upholds a strong devotion to the late Princess Diana, Parker Bowles has her fans, as well. Per Vanity Fair, even the queen liked her. Those who are hesitant to come to her support may be swayed by Parker Bowles' somewhat pedestrian, yet patriotic, taste in food.

Reportedly, one of her favorite meals is a British classic: baked beans on toast (via You Magazine). The Queen consort isn't as picky as her husband, who prefers organic food fresh from the farm or wild. However, she has one specific request: Parker Bowles says that the baked beans used must be from a can and must always be Heinz brand.

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess of Wales, probably has one of the most talked-about diets out of the royal family. According to Express, it's one of the most popular food-related Google searches out of all the British monarchs. Public attention stems in part from the Duchess' beauty and physique. She's known for maintaining that with a health-conscious diet that includes daily smoothies and she tends to stick to a mostly vegetarian diet. One of her favorite meals is spicy, Indian-style curry, a dish she particularly craved while pregnant.

Princess Kate likes to cook this dish for her family, on occasion. However, she said it was hard to make something pleasing to everyone in her family of five — William and Kate have three children — because everyone has a different spice tolerance. Regardless of the spice levels, the curry recipes that Middleton prefers are likely to be meat-free.

Princess Charlotte is the daughter of Prince William and Princess Kate. The 7-year-old is the sibling of Prince George and Prince Louis. She is the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, behind George. As one of the youngest members of the British royal family, Princess Charlotte is famous in her own right and people are eager to find out what she likes to eat. Her favorite meal is pretty standard for a child under 10 years of age. Princess Charlotte loves to eat cheesy pasta, such as macaroni and cheese.

The young princess may even know how to cook it herself. Her mother has said that Charlotte and George like to attempt making cheesy pasta together. We think you'll be able to relate to a childhood love for buttered pasta with a dash of cheese. But while her favorite meal is accessible, Charlotte has some more divisive preferences: The kid also loves olives.

Princess Anne is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. If you follow some of the eating habits of the British royal family, you may have already heard about Princess Anne's love of overripe bananas. Once the fruits have over-ripened they are easier to digest, per this royal. But this isn't the only food that she likes. Fans may be interested to find out that Princess Anne's favorite meal is deviled pheasant, a traditional English meal centered around the game bird.

The technique of "deviling" a food usually comes from combining it with certain spices. But with deviled pheasant, spices aren't the most notable ingredients. To make it, you begin by cooking two such game birds with ingredients such as garlic — even though eating this allium is forbidden by certain members of the royal family — onions, and carrots. After cooking, the bones are removed, leaving the meat to sit in the previously-made stew. Then, stiff whipped cream, mango chutney (preferably from the brand Sharwood's Green Label), and Worcestershire sauce must be gathered and mixed. Eventually, you'll drain the meat, combine it with the whipped cream mixture, and bake the whole thing again. The result is something of which Princess Anne can't get enough.

Princess Beatrice is also the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, making her the sister of Princess Eugenie (via the Mirror). She is known for maintaining a healthy diet that includes following a vegan diet from time to time. For her 31st birthday, Princess Beatrice catered a completely "plant-based" menu, per Express. In doing so, she's shown her affection for dishes like vegan sushi. She even served a dairy-free birthday cake. Later, in 2021, she dined at a London vegan restaurant called 123V. There, Princess Beatrice ordered the vegan sushi and reportedly really enjoyed the meal (via Vegan Food and Living).

As a vegan food, Princess Beatrice's beloved meal is made without fish. Instead, various plant-based products take the place of seafood. Some restaurants offer vegan sushi with vegetable fillings made of ingredients like avocado. Since avocado is already a traditional ingredient in pescatarian sushi rolls, such as California Rolls or Philadelphia rolls, this helps keep the recipe tasting reminiscent of the real thing. You can even make an easier version of Princess Beatrice's favorite meal to eat at home by creating a less technically-challenging vegan sushi bowl.