THE QUEEN is a stickler for observing royal protocol and traditions but there’s a reasonably modern rule that has had to be introduced to the palace.
According to English broadcaster and friend of the royals Gyles Brandreth, Her Royal Highness is very hot on table manners.
He featured on ITV’s This Morning on ITV on Thursday to explain the more recent addition to the royal etiquette guide.
He said: “The Queen is my role model in all things.
“One of the things she won’t allow at the table with her grandchildren and indeed her great-grandchildren is mobile phones at mealtimes.
“She likes a formal, and I too like a fairly formal meal. It doesn’t mean to say you have to have a napkin.
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“But you do have to sit at the table nicely and you certainly mustn’t eat with your mouth open!”
Aside from this all food served to the long-reigning monarch must be pre-approved by the Queen herself.
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She previews and approves all meals for the week, with menus presented in French.
She is said to prefer lighter meals in the evening, and apparently never eats starches when alone.
So if you’re invited to a meal with the queen it’s unlikely to be one with pasta, rice, or potatoes.
You’ll also be sorry if you’re a fan of garlic and your dining with the royal family, because the monarch famously can’t stand the stuff.
The Queen never eats garlic, and other royals have either joined her in this or only eat it very rarely (and definitely not while they’re around Her Majesty).
One reason for this is that the Queen simply just doesn’t like the taste. There is a second reason for this too though, as confirmed by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
When asked if avoiding garlic was due to etiquette, and not wanting breath to smell when meeting people, Camilla quipped that “you always have to lay off the garlic.”
