Royal Family's Christmas menu revealed - from Queen's 'favourite' dish to King's rules
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From the grand Tudor feasts to Edwardian dinner tables laden with delicacies, banquets have always been a staple of Royal life. A guest at Queen Victoria's Christmas feast once described a "mighty sight": 50 turkeys roasting in the kitchen, a massive slab of beef and a woodcock pie made from 100 birds. The modern menu may be more modest, but the setting for Christmas lunch remains just as grand. If numbers permit, the royals dine in Sandringham's green dining room. "It's all done so beautifully," shares Royal expert Ingrid Seward. "There's a long mahogany table and the room is adorned with exotic arrangements of flowers and ferns, in Victorian style. The finest crystal is brought up from the glass pantry and the china from the china cellar – as far as Charles is concerned, what's the point in having all this fancy stuff if it's not used?".
The main course is served immediately – roasted Norfolk turkey with all the trimmings from mashed and roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and carrots to stuffing, roast parsnips and cranberry sauce, cooked to perfection, reports OK!. Former Royal head chef, Darren McGrady has fond memories of his time at Sandringham. "The senior chef on duty would carve the turkey in front of the family," he recalls. The late Queen would then offer the chef a glass of whisky and they'd toast him, as a thank you for the year gone by. "It's one of the chef's favourite traditions.".
At 2pm, a flaming Christmas pudding, doused in brandy is ceremoniously carried into the room by a steward. The late Queen's children used to dine separately in the nursery, but times have changed. "They'll sit with the adults now, if there's room," revealed former Royal butler Grant Harrold, who also alluded to a modern, child-friendly approach within the Royal Family. "The younger children will be offered exactly what the adults are having, but there will be backup options, such as chicken goujons. And I've seen tomato ketchup on a few royal tables! " The royals aren't shy about helping themselves either. "If the footman isn't in the room and something needs to be served or a dish passed along, they'll 100% do it themselves," Grant added. "A lot of the royals are really hands-on, especially the ladies.".
