The late Queen Elizabeth was known to be somewhat of a creature of habit, and celebrations like Easter were no exception – The Mirror breaks down what every Easter entailed for the late monarch
This Easter will look a little unusual for the Royal Family, as they manage one of the most challenging periods they have endured in recent years, with both King Charles and Kate, Princess of Wales currently undergoing treatment for cancer.
These health challenges come only 18 months after the death of Queen Elizabeth – ever-popular and well-experienced at steering the monarchy through murky waters, the absence of the former matriarch is bound to be keenly felt this Easter.
A dedicated Christian who took her role as Supreme Governor of the Chruch of England incredibly seriously, Easter wasn’t just a time for religious contemplation for the late Queen: according to a former member of the royal household, it was also a time of family fun and celebration for the royals. Known to be somewhat of a creature of habit, the late Queen regularly partook in the same traditions each and every year when Easter rolled around.
Former royal chef, Darren McGrady, explained to OK Magazine, that a royal Easter was an elaborate affair, and revealed that even the late Queen’s beloved pack of dogs always got a treat.
Food
Meal times are a big deal at the castle over Easter weekend, and they enjoy a lot of delicious meals. On Friday night they would tuck into a traditional fish dinner, which always goes down a treat. After church on Sunday, the family sat down to a four-course roast dinner.
Darren previously 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.”
The former royal chef also revealed that when it came to certain delicacies, the late Queen preferred to keep things local, and a particular favourite lunchtime treat was fresh Windsor Cheese made specially at the Windsor Dairy.
Darren added: “The most incredible sweet white Windsor peaches grew on the estate too in my day. We’d have to lock them away in the kitchens because everyone wanted to taste them. The Queen always looked forward to those but she’d have to wait until they were in season.”
The family prefers to eat food that is in season, and Darren explained the Queen would “put a really thick line through the menu” if she didn’t think something was right for the time of year. Given how dedicated King Charles is to sustainable horticultural practices and organic farming, it’s likely he would share this preference for eating seasonally too.
Chocolate
The Royal Family loves chocolate – they are only human after all – and it’s become one of the most important components of Easter for many people over the years, with the late Queen no exception.
According to Darren, his old boss used to give it up every year for Lent so once Easter Sunday finally rolled around she would happily tuck into a good portion.
She was particularly partial to dark chocolate and her favourites were Bendicks Bittermints, the former royal chef revealed.
When it comes to Easter eggs, the royals obviously take it up a notch from the ones the rest of us nab at the supermarket, with the chefs at Windsor making their own Easter eggs, which are decorated with sugared flowers for the adult and fun designs for the children.
Alcohol
The booze is flowing at Windsor on Easter, with everyone coming together for pre-lunch drinks.
Darren said: “The Queen would usually refrain, and save her habitual Gin and dubonnet until the evening. For lunch she would have her favourite German wine, called Gewurztraminer. It’s quite light and sweet. Prince Philip doesn’t really drink wine – he’d rather have a bottle of beer.”
The dogs
The Queen’s dogs never got forgotten on Easter Sunday and used to be treated to quite the feast.
While they’re used to budget Tesco dog food, on Easter they’re allowed to sit at the Queen’s feet.
Darren said: “Back then they had their own menus – one day it would be chicken, the next beef. Two footmen would take them their food. We called them Dog Boy 1 and Dog Boy 2.”
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