For their first Christmas together as a married couple, you’d think Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would be spending it snuggled up together in front of the fire, perhaps drinking royal mimosas and scones like normals. But thanks to royal tradition, the couple will actually be spending the morning apart.
While both will be hunkered down at Sandringham House to spend Christmas with the Queen, former royal chef Darren McGrady says it’s tradition for women and men to have different morning routines in the royal household.
“On Christmas Day, the ladies generally opt for a light breakfast of sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast and coffee delivered to their rooms,” McGrady wrote in The Daily Mail, adding that the men eat a heartier meal of “eggs, bacon and mushrooms, kippers, and grilled kidneys.” And when they return, it’s straight into pre-lunch drinks. “This is where Meghan may find she can request a glass of her favourite wine, Tignanello, a full-bodied Tuscan red,” says McGrady.
As for Christmas Eve, he says that the first time all of the royals congregate is for afternoon tea at 4pm…
It involves a large cake, usually a ginger cake or honey and cream sponge; a fruit cake would clash with the following day’s Christmas cake. Small cakes and scones feature alongside finger sandwiches (crusts off, served in squares) filled with ham and English mustard, Sage Derby cheese and Branston Pickle or Coronation chicken, with a pot of Earl Grey tea.
We haven’t even mentioned Christmas dinner yet, but if this sounds like the kind of Hollywood diet Meghan is not accustomed to, you’re probably correct. Says McGrady, “if Meghan is anything like me, she will enjoy it immensely – every member of the Queen’s staff will welcome her, and I’m sure the kitchen will rustle up green juice and chia seeds when all the festive feasting is over.”
