Queen Camilla’s son has revealed what a royal breakfast really looks like, and it may not be extravagant as you think.
Food critic and writer Tom Parker Bowles appeared on BBC Breakfast earlier this week to talk about his new cookbook, Cooking and the Crown, which explores the history of food in the royal family.
He delves into the culinary traditions from Queen Victoria’s reign starting in 1837 through Edward VII’s era at the turn of the century, all the way to Charles and Camilla, reports The Mirror.
During a conversation with BBC Breakfast hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty, Tom shared that his mother enjoys a classic bowl of porridge for breakfast—quite a contrast to what one might expect from a royal morning meal.
Tom said that porridge is the King and Queen’s go-to during the winter mornings and is finished off with a generous amount of honey from Camilla’s own bees.
When asked about meals in the current royal household, Tom noted: “There are lots of simple recipes in the book.” Referring to a bowl of porridge featured in the book, he shared: “That’s what my mother eats in the winter. Porridge with her own honey as she has bees.” Host Charlie then inquired if there was anything unique about the porridge, to which Tom responded: “Nope, it’s just good old-fashioned porridge made with milk and cream and a bit of honey.”
Tom revealed the straightforward recipe included in the book, featuring Scottish porridge oats, full-fat milk, a pinch of salt, and honey.
The book explores the eating habits of royals over the years, reflecting on the hearty appetites of past monarchs, including Queen Victoria, who was famous for her lavish banquets.
The author told The Mail that dinner with Queen Victoria typically featured six courses, “starting with two kinds of soup, going through fish, ‘entrees’, ‘releves’ (or ‘removes’, a mixture of roast meats and more elaborate confections), rotis (usually smaller birds like quail), and, finally, ‘entremets’, a selection of vegetables and puddings.”
In stark contrast, the health-conscious diets of Charles and Camilla, as well as the late Queen—whom Tom described as “not a great eater”—are much simpler. He remarked that she “was just as happy with a salmon fishcake, a mild curry, or scrambled eggs on toast.”
Parker Bowles noted that Camilla’s lunches are also light, frequently consisting of chicken broth—another recipe featured in the book—or smoked salmon. Charles, on the other hand, is known for skipping lunch entirely; he starts his day with dried fruit and honey for breakfast and has a particular fondness for mutton.
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