Darren Macgrady: Last News

Princess Diana tragically died from injuries sustained in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France.Her death on August 31 1997 changed the landscape of the Royal Family and shaped global affairs in the following years. To the public, she will forever be known as the People’s Princess, as Diana was beloved for her down-to-earth qualities and the relationship she shared with her children, Prince William and Prince Harry.

the only one with odd food habits.Princess Anne, the monarch’s only daughter and second eldest, reportedly has a surprising food request for palace chefs, according to her former royal footman.Steven Kaye, who worked for the royal family for more than three years, told Slingo the 72-year-old royal prefers to eat very overripe bananas that are almost to the point of being rotten.“Princess Anne was lovely,” Kaye said in a Q&A interview, recounting a “funny story” that happened in the palace kitchen.“Once the chefs had cleaned up in the kitchen, you’d go and get things for breakfast and there would always be a bunch of bananas literally on the side that were black, they were left to rot, they were never put away in the fridge,” he said.“I remember asking who they were for and it turns out the princess royal only eats black bananas — the royal chef had strict instructions to serve them overripe,” Kaye added.Princess Anne’s mother also has some delightfully shocking eating preferences and has even eaten the same meal every day since she was a child.Her former chef, Darren McGrady, revealed in a video that the 96-year-old monarch always eats jam sandwiches during afternoon tea time. The sovereign has munched on the finger sandwiches since she was a girl and she is also a big lover of gin-based drinks.Elsewhere in the Slingo interview, Kaye spilled some tea about his experiences working with the royal family, a position he got after personally writing a letter to the queen asking for a job.He described one moment when he had to handle Her Majesty’s infamous corgis, namely her dog Emma which many people tried to avoid at all costs since she’s an ankle biter.“There was one corgi called Emma that stood out.

Just like most people on their summer holidays, the Queen is partial to treating herself with a takeaway – and there is one she always gets while she stays in Scotland at Balmoral.

Queen once gave a very diplomatic answer when she was asked whether she believed in Father Christmas.Resurfaced footage from a 1989 reception for The Commonwealth at the Royal Albert Hall shows Her Majesty chatting with children from all over the world in a special session.The kids can be seen wearing national dress from each of their home countries, and take it in turns to ask the Queen, then 63, about life as Britain's ruling monarch.READ MORE: Meghan Markle's bullying report would be 'bloodbath' for all, says expertSingling out the tough Santa question as one of his favourite royal moments, royal biographer Andrew Morton told Pod Save the Queen: "I just love her dry sense of humour and she was once asked by a little boy 'Do you believe in Father Christmas?' "The Queen, ever the consummate diplomat, said 'I'd like to think that I believe in Father Christmas', and to me, that is a clever answer from someone who does crossword puzzles!" Other intriguing questions were put to the monarch in the 1980s clip included "Do you like being the Queen?" to which she replied: "It's a very busy life."She is then interrupted by another child who asks: "How big is your palace?", and she responds: "My palace is quite large, it has very long corridors to walk down it, especially if one is late!"When asked if her crown is "very heavy", Her Majesty says: "It's quite heavy, yes, you don't really want to walk around in it!"While she entertained her young guests with some good answers about Buckingham Palace on this occasion, it is said the monarch has few fond feelings for her official residence.Former royal chef to the Queen, Darren McGrady, 60, spoke out on the Queen's alleged dislike for the London-based property and said that the

Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed that the Queen is much happier after her permanent move to Windsor Castle, as she 'never really liked' Buckingham Palace.

Prince William will be hoping for less embarrassing presents than the one Princess Diana bought him when he was 13 as he celebrates his 40th birthday today (June 21).Previously, the royal admitted Kate Middleton has "never let him forget" the time he got her a pair of binoculars for her birthday. But the Duke of Cambridge once received an even more bizarre and memorable gift when he was a youngster, according to Diana's former chef Darren McGrady.

If you recently read our article on eating like the Queen for 24 hours, then you’ll know that Her Majesty enjoys afternoon tea most days.

You can enjoy the long Jubilee weekend in style with The Belfry Hotel and Resort, situated in Royal Sutton Coldfield. From romantic breaks and last-minute getaways with the family to an 18-hole break ideal for any golfing aficionado - there's something for everyone.

Queen is reportedly so fond of her favourite sandwich that she has had it for every afternoon tea since she was a child, says a former Palace chef.The curious royal food fact was spilled by Darren McGrady, who was Her Majesty's personal chef from 1982 to 1993.

While The Queen has to remain neutral in many areas of her life and is unable to voice personal opinions on topics including politics, there are a few things she's able to pick favourites from. And one of them, of course, is food. Queen Elizabeth II is a creature of habit when it comes to cooking and a former royal cook has revealed that she loves one particular sandwich style so much that she has eaten them constantly since she was a little girl.

Prince Harry and Prince William always enjoyed the same strange snack after school, a special take on a British classic – alongside a dollop of ketchup – the Queen's former chef has revealed.Darren McGrady served food to the royals for 11 years and has now opened up about what went down best in The Firm. Although one might assume that the Royal Family have overly exotic tastes, McGrady revealed that the young princes' favourite snack was actually the humble sausage roll.However, Harry and William weren't popping into Greggs on their way back to the Palace.

It's no secret that the Queen enjoys the finer things in life, from speciality teas to the most luxurious homes. While Her Majesty, 96, has each of her meals specially prepared by professional chefs and served at specific times, her early morning snack is one which we all enjoy, and a lot less lavish. She famously has a very sweet tooth and is known to particularly love chocolate, having previously been described as a 'chocaholic'.

Royal chef has shared an insider secret into one of the Queen's favourite celebratory treats as Her Majesty celebrates her 96th birthday today.Darren McGrady, who was chef to the Queen for 15 years, revealed that the monarch really does have a sweet tooth during her annual celebrations.According to the chef, the Queen loves a chocolate birthday cake and actually gets one twice a year.The iconic recipe reportedly dates back to Queen Victoria and was originally created by her chef Gabriel Tschumi around 1899.Writing on his blog, Darren McGrady said: "It’s a recipe that I fine tuned for Queen Elizabeth II and made for her twice a year because Her Majesty has an official birthday in June and real birthday in April each year."And it's not just the Queen that loves indulging in a chocolate treat.According to Darren, every member of the royal family requests the iconic chocolate birthday cake too.Darren added: "And every cake looks the same because the pastry chefs are instructed never to write a name on the cake, just 'Happy Birthday', never Happy Birthday Your Majesty or even Happy Birthday Queenie!" During her special day today, the Queen is reportedly celebrating with a tea party with friends and family.For more incredible stories from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters hereBut these celebrations are just the start for Her Majesty, as 2022 is a historic year. It also marks the 70 years she has sat on the throne.Her much-awaited Platinum Jubilee is set to be celebrated between June 2 and June 5, with a bank holiday for Brits on June 2 and 3.Even though there is lots to celebrate, the Queen's health has also been a worry.

Queen will no doubt sit down to a traditional Easter Sunday roast dinner with her family and raise a toast - although whether this is alcoholic is doubtful, insiders claim.Former royal chef Darren McGrady spent many Easters with the family and has shared fascinating insights into their process in the past.He said: "We’d go straight into the main course – a traditional roast lamb with seasonal vegetables. The Queen likes her meat well done so she’d always have the first two slices.“They’d also have a compound salad served in a kidney dish attached to the plate – just some lettuce and cucumber with a little mint or some grated carrot and coriander.”McGrady also suggested that The Queen normally enjoys a glass of the sweet and aromatic German white wine gewürztraminer with her food reports MyLondon.But there are questions over whether she will do it this year over concerns for her health.As she continues to celebrate her historic 70th anniversary as Queen, Her Majesty was reportedly advised by doctors to give up a favourite tipple to ensure she stays as healthy as possible during her busy year.The Queen is by no means a big or heavy drinker, but close friends of the monarch have come forward and said she has been advised to give up her favourite drink so that she remains in top form for what is arguably the most important year of her reign.

Queen herself has explained the "refined" way Her Royal Highness requested fish and chips. Darren McGrady says instead of cooking the fish by coating it in batter and deep-frying in lard or oil, Her Majesty likes it coated in breadcrumbs and baked.Darren served as the Queen’s personal chef at Buckingham Palace between the 1980s to the 1990s and recalls many quirks about the royal pallet.Talking on his YouTube channel about The Queen's tastes, he said: "Fish fried in all that crispy rich batter was a little bit too much for her, she preferred a more refined fish and chips."According to Darren, Her Majesty liked her chips cut into "rectangles" and "stacked like a Jenga tower".Even more curiously, The Queen is not a fan of the traditional tartare sauce and prefers a super-rich condiment of tarragon hollandaise made from "90% butter".Another staple not included on the Queen's plate is mushy peas and she's certainly not got gravy or curry sauce on there either.The video was "liked" more than 11,000 times and people debated if it's better to go traditional or royal for a fish supper.One person commented: "Did the Queen ever play Jenga with her chips when you stacked them up like that?""Looks amazing but if you served me fish and chips with only six chips I’d be fuming," joked a second.A third suggested: "The Queen doesn't know what she's missing: beer-battered cod, deep-fried chips, mushy peas, salt, vinegar, scraps.

A royal chef has revealed the strict diet consumed by the Queen's beloved corgis.The 95 year old monarch has been utterly devoted to her loyal dogs, and they even provided her with comfort and affection following the passing of her husband Prince Philip last year. And now Darren McGrady, who previously cooked at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral, has revealed that while Her Majesty eats whatever she desires during the day, her pet pooches have their menus composed by canine experts a month in advance.

Princess Diana once said she would not date Tom Cruise, it is claimed - because he was too short.Former royal chef Darren McGrady says the princess and the actor met on the set of Mission: Impossible years ago.Apparently she had taken her sons, William and Harry, to see the action film being made - which they “loved”.But Darren claims that, after meeting Cruise, Diana joked she would take him "off the list" - because of his height.The A-lister’s exact size is hard to pinpoint, but it is thought that he stands at around 5ft 7ins.Darren, who cooked at Buckingham Palace for 11 years, said: "I remember Princess Diana taking the boys to the set of Mission Impossible and to meet Tom Cruise."Wills and Harry loved the pyrotechnics. But Princess Diana ‘That’s another one off the list Darren.

Princess Diana would be 'upset' that sons Prince Harry and Prince William do not have the same relationship anymore, according to a former royal chef.The two grew up as close royal brothers, often relying on each other for support after the tragic death of their mother in 1997.But in 2019, Harry publicly revealed for the first that their relationship had weakened amid tension between the Sussex and Cambridge households.When questioned about an alleged rift with William, he said he loved his brother dearly but they were "on different paths" and have "good days" and "bad days".Since then Harry has moved his family to Montecito in California, putting considerable distance between the two.Reflecting on their strained relationship, Chef Darren McGrady — who served Diana and her sons for 15 years — has said he believes the current state of affairs would upset the late Princess of Wales.Speaking to Coffee Friend he said: "Princess Diana would have been sad that their boys don’t have the same relationship now."She understood that the Queen came first, I don’t believe she ever did anything to really offend the Queen."He also suggested that she "would have never had moved away" herself, adding: "That is purely because of her boys.

From attending lavish state banquets to travelling the world on different tours, working for the royals is a job like no other. But alongside the glitz and glamour of the role, working for the Queen comes with its downsides too, such as being away from home for long stretches of time. Speaking exclusively to OK!, former royal chef Darren McGrady explained how busy days at Balmoral Castle meant that he and his colleagues stuck together to form their own alternative “family”.

We all know there are plenty of rules to follow when it comes to cooking for the Queen. From banned foods like starchy carbs to shellfish, sandwich crusts and even garlic - royal chefs are well prepared to serve up something Her Majesty will enjoy, not reject! Grant Harrold - a butler to Prince Charles at Highgrove House for seven years - was shocked to discover that the Queen isn’t a fan of rare meat, either. Apparently, it’s very unusual.

It's been reported the Duchess of Cambridge has accidentally broken the Queen's golden dinner rule.