Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Paige Holland

Queen played cheeky trick on Queen Mother every day so she wasn't late for dinner

There is nothing better than sitting down for a lovely meal with your loved ones, but sometimes it can be a bit of a logistical nightmare to get everyone together.

And it turns out it's no different if you're a royal, and busy schedules mean it's often tough to get everyone to sit down at the table on time.

One person who was apparently notoriously bad for being late was the Queen Mother. Insiders say she was always late down for dinner when the family were celebrating their summer holidays in Balmoral, and it got so bad that Her Majesty resorted to a cheeky trick to make sure that the rest of the family wasn't waiting for her.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady, who cooked for the family between 1982 and 1993, revealed the family and staff used to tell her a little white lie every evening.

The Queen had a plan to get her to dinner on time (Getty Images)

Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up .

In an interview with Marie Claire he revealed: "Dinner was at 8:30pm in Balmoral when Her Majesty the Queen Mother was in attendance.

"They used to tell her that dinner was at 8:15, and she'd be the last one down.

"They told everyone else 8:30 because they knew she'd be late."

Mr McGrady went on to say how dinnertime at Balmoral was a very formal affair, and that the ladies were to be dressed in ball gowns and with only the finest china on display.

He even likened it to Downton Abbey.

"They'd come down in dressy ball gowns, and sit at the table — like a Downton Abbey dinner," he said.

"All the fine china was brought out. At the end of the meal, a bagpipe player would walk around the table," he said.

Mr McGrady revealed that the Queen picked her meals from a menu three days in advance, and she always stuck to her choices.

And he also shared three foods that she avoids - garlic, potatoes and pasta and how she likes to eat grilled fish or chicken instead, with a side of vegetables or salad.

Have you got a story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.