The royal family has countless etiquette rules to follow, and according to Reader's Digest, one of the most important rules, specifically for the royal family's women, is to never sit with their legs crossed over their knees. Members of the royal family are also expected to enter rooms in the order of succession, and they aren't allowed to vote, take selfies, or sign autographs. As far as rules for dining goes, there is a specific napkin etiquette where royal family members must wipe their faces inside the napkin's fold, so as to not make a mess on their clothes, and the royal family avoids all shellfish for fear of food poisoning.
Queen Elizabeth II was also specific about what she ate and how it was prepared. Chef Darren McGrady was the palace chef for the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry. (During his time at the palace, McGrady also cooked for a few United States presidents such as Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush.) And as the chef cooked in the Royal Kitchen at Buckingham Palace for over 10 years, he gained more than enough knowledge of what the Queen did and didn't like.
In an interview with Us Weekly, chef Darren McGrady said that Queen Elizabeth never once requested pizza (via Us Magazine). The former palace chef explained he began to make the classic Italian dish when he moved to Kensington Palace to cook for Princess Diana, sharing that Prince William was a big fan of the food.
Another food McGrady shared Queen Elizabeth II didn't eat was fast food. (Ironically enough, Queen Elizabeth II actually owned a fast food restaurant ... sort of.) And if she ever got a craving for it, the chefs would cook up their own versions. She was especially particular about burgers, only eating them without the bun. McGrady told Insider, "They would have burgers, but not the buns. So they would eat it with their knife and fork." But if you thought these were your standard all-beef patties, you'd be wrong: "They would shoot deer, and we would do venison burgers. There'd be gorgeous cranberry and everything stuffed into them," McGrady divulged.
So what did the Queen eat? Chef McGrady shared, "The menus at Buckingham Palace are very traditional French, which wouldn't lean towards having pizza on it." The chef further explained the Queen's reason for not eating particular foods, saying, "Her Majesty's Victorian upbringing dictates that the only thing you would pick up and eat with your fingers is afternoon tea."
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