When it comes to Christmas Day in the royal households, it seems over indulgence is a recurring theme. While many families associate the 25 December with delicious, festive food, several courses of comforting dishes and enough chocolate to rival the set of Wonka, nobody does Christmas quite like the royal family.
According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the royal family's Christmas Day menu is quite the culinary extravaganza, starting with breakfast. Darren revealed that the men and women dine separately on Christmas morning, before uniting at St Mary Magdalene's Church at 11:00 AM.
The chef revealed that the royal ladies prefer a light breakfast in bed, usually consisting of "sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast and coffee" while the men enjoy a traditional English breakfast loaded with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, kippers and grilled kidneys.
© Mark CuthbertAs someone who has never delighted at the ingredients in black pudding, nor the idea of eating organs for breakfast, recreating the royal family's Christmas Day breakfast for myself at home was quite the experience.
Watch exactly what happened when I turned my home into a makeshift royal kitchen as I recreated the royal's unusual Christmas Day breakfast menu…
When do the Royal Family eat on Christmas Day?
Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who gave HELLO! an etiquette lesson earlier this year, also weighed in on the timings of the culinary feast that occurs at Sandringham over the festive season.
"At the end of Christmas Day… the royals must go to Weight Watchers," he joked, giving more detail about the endless courses enjoyed by the family.
Royal Family Christmas Day schedule
- 8:00 AM - Breakfast
- 11:00 AM - Elevenses (where tea and coffee is served with biscuits)
- 12:30 AM - Pre-lunch drinks
- 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Lunch
- 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM - Afternoon Tea
- 6:30 PM Pre-evening drinks
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Pre-dinner drinks
- 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM Dinner
"If they're going to have supper, which is unlikely, that would be between 10 and midnight," Grant explained. "And then they’ll start it all again the following morning," he concluded, but not before teasing: "In between that they've signed up to Weight Watchers."
