Royals' favourite alcoholic drinks – and Duchess Kate's is a huge surprise

With Christmas around the corner, many of us will be looking forward to enjoying our favourite tipples with family – be it Bucks Fizz, a glass of chilled white wine or perhaps cheeky after-dinner whiskey.

The royals like a drink now and again too, with several of the prestigious family revealing their favourite alcoholic beverages over the years. From a crisp gin and tonic to a classic pint of beer, take a look at what Her Majesty the Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge and more royals sip at home…

Princess Eugenie

New mum Eugenie may have been off the alcohol during her pregnancy with baby August, who she shares with husband Jack Brooksbank, but the royal is sure to be raising a glass this festive season.

She told Harper's Bazaar, "My favourite drink is vodka soda with loads of lime. Can't beat that."

But we bet a tequila cocktail using Casamigos, of which her husband is a brand ambassador, is also a staple in her house – after all, it was served at their royal wedding in 2018.

MORE: Princess Eugenie's daily diet: what the royal eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Duchess of Sussex

Like many of us ladies, Meghan enjoys a glass of wine and the wife of Prince Harry even named her former lifestyle blog The Tig after Tignanello – an Italian blended red wine.

Way back in 2012, Meghan told Today: "At the end of a long day, there is nothing I enjoy more than a glass of wine. I used to be of the 'it doesn't matter, so long as it's red' persuasion, but then I grew up, and so did my palate."

Zara Tindall 

It's well-known that Zara Tindall's husband Mike enjoys a few drinks once in a while - with his stag do prompting his royal in-laws to poke fun at him - but the Queen's granddaughter also likes a glass of wine as much as the rest of us.

The royal has been pictured sipping on red, white and rose wine in the past, so we bet she's enjoying the return to the local pub following the birth of her third child in March. She told Country Living in 2016 her ideal night out is a "quiet Saturday night at a local pub."

The Queen

In 2017, the monarch's former chef Darren McGrady spoke out on reports that the Queen drank four cocktails a day. He told CNN: "She'd be pickled if she drank that much. All I said was she likes a gin and Dubonnet. That's her favourite drink." And the chef clarified that Her Majesty doesn't drink every day. "She doesn't wake up in the morning and have a large gin and tonic."

Darren added that when the Queen does have a drink with dinner it is typically a glass of her favourite German sweet wine. "Just in the evening. She certainly doesn't drink four glasses a day."

MORE: What pints would royals order at the pub? Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and more's favourite beers

Prince Harry

Prince Harry likes a pint of beer as many British men do. In the summer of 2019, Harry, Meghan and their son Archie were seen at The Rose & Crown pub in Berkshire, which is a ten-minute drive from their Frogmore Cottage home in Windsor. Onlookers watched Harry enjoy a couple of pints while little Archie slept in his mum's arms.

Duchess of Cambridge

Did you know that Duchess Kate has a penchant for a pint of Guinness? It's true! During her and Prince William's visit to Ireland, the couple attended a special reception at the Guinness Storehouse’s Gravity Bar, where they had the opportunity to taste a pint of Guinness.

And the royal was even pictured pulling a pint at Belfast Empire Hall in early 2019!

MORE: Kate Middleton reveals her Christmas gift for the Queen - and it's so personal

Prince William

William is just like his younger brother when it comes to drinking – he too enjoys a good pint. The royal was spotted at Battersea, London's Prince Albert pub in Battersea in October having a beer with ex-England midfielder Frank Lampard as they watched the Euro 2020 qualifier with locals.

Duchess of Cornwall

Camilla appears to be quite the wine connoisseur! The wife of Prince Charles is the president of the UK’s Vineyard Association and has admitted that when it comes to drinking, she was raised like the French.

"People always ask me how I became involved in it all, well, first of all, I love wine, but secondly, my father was in the wine business, so I was brought up as a child drinking wine and water rather like the French," she said at a reception celebrating the association’s 50th anniversary.

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