Tom details what the royals eat in his soon-to-be-released book, ‘Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III’
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King Charles and Queen Camilla, Tom Parker Bowles.
Tom Parker Bowles is sharing some insight into his mother Queen Camilla and stepfather King Charles’ diets.
Tom, 49, who is the son of Camilla and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, wrote a piece for The Daily Mail about the different culinary requests that are made by the most recent monarchs ahead of the release of his book, Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III.
According to Tom, Camilla, 77, and Charles, 75, eat “simple, healthy and resolutely seasonal food.” He added that their meals are overseen by Royal Chef Mark Flanagan, who travels with them to their various estates.
As for the King specifically, Tom described him as a “true food hero” who “practices what he preaches” — especially when it comes to food sustainability.
He said that the royal’s pantry is often filled with “seasonal bounty of the royal estates,” including “game, beef and lamb,” plus fruits and vegetables like “peas, strawberries, raspberries and chard.”
“There is no waste at [King Charles’] table,” Tom said.
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Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall enjoy afternoon tea on the terrace beside a life-sized statue of a famed playwright.
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The cookbook author also noted that his stepfather “doesn’t eat lunch at all” and often skips the meal in favor of a “relaxed” afternoon tea — an age-old tradition among British royalty and something he said the monarch takes seriously.
Afternoon tea, Tom said, is traditionally served at 5 p.m., and a typical meal included with it could contain “macaroons, scones, wafers, biscuits, petit fours, pralines, Chelsea buns, and shortbread, along with bridge rolls, crumpets, poached eggs on toast, potted shrimps and sandwiches” filled with “chicken, smoked salmon, ham and mustard.”
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As for his mother, the Let’s Eat: Recipes from My Kitchen Notebook author shared that she “eats a very light lunch” often in the form of “a bowl of chicken soup” or “some smoked salmon.”
The two royals also often opt for a “laid back” dinner “away from the official pomp and circumstance” later on the day, he added.
Tom noted, however, that official banquets are anything but relaxed, as guests are often served three-course meals at long tables set up at St. George’s Hall at Windsor or the ballroom in Buckingham Palace.
He said the menus are “still written in French” and are sent up to the King and Queen for approval ahead of the event.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla.
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“This is not mere eating, rather a brilliantly choreographed ballet, ‘souffle’ diplomacy at its finest, as kings and queen, princes, potentates and presidents sit down to revel in the eternal power of the shared table,” Tom explained.
In his book, Tom also delves into the foods and culinary cravings of previous monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and how the chefs at the various residences of Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral prepare the meals for them.
Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III will be released on Sept. 24.
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