The royal family are used to enjoying a banquet or sampling the odd offering while out on official duties, but there are some foods that they’re often warned off of, whether this is to due with the risk to their breath, or perhaps more adverse reactions. However, King Charles has famously brushed off some of these concerns in the past…
Royals are famously advised to avoid eating foods like shellfish and raw meat whilst on official royal engagements in order to limit the risk of food poisoning, which could be particularly disastrous if they’re abroad on a royal tour.
Former royal butler Grant Harold previously told Woman & Home magazine: “It is a very sensible move to abandon having seafood when out and about on public duties. We don’t want a member of the Royal family having a serious reaction to food poisoning, especially if they’re on an overseas tour.”
They’re also not the most elegant food to eat – so it’s no wonder the late Queen avoided them at all costs! However, Charles has been known to sample shellfish and oysters during royal engagements.
Back in 2013, the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall paid a visit to the Whitstable Oyster Festival, with Charles tucking into and freshly shucked oyster from a bed of ice. Notoriously slimy and difficult to swallow if not used to the texture, Camilla was on hand to pass him a napkin afterwards – but the royal appeared to thoroughly enjoy his taste of the oyster.
After finishing the delicacy, Charles reportedly wiped “his mouth with satisfaction”.
And although he wasn’t seen tucking into them, a plate of oysters was on the menu for Charles back in 2015 when he joked with a royal photographer during a visit to New Zealand.
Late Queen’s dislike of oysters
Despite being a delicacy in many countries and a favourite at decadent banquets, the late Queen and her late husband Prince Philip reportedly hated oysters, according to former royal servant Charles Oliver.
© Getty Images“Inevitably there are one or two things the Queen and her husband do not like, and the hosts are duly warned in advance,” reads an extract from Dinner at Buckingham Palace, based on the diaries and personal recollections of Charles.
Oysters weren’t the only food Her Late Majesty avoided, with garlic and onions also off the menu. According to former royal chef Darren McGarvey, the late Queen viewed them as “antisocial”, so garlic was off her royal menu. However, this was in sharp contrast to her late husband, who would regularly enjoy them at his dinner parties.
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