Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, is renowned for her down-to-earth personality that often defies royal stereotypes. Unlike other members of the royal family, she is not a fan of caviar. Instead, she has a surprising preference for a frozen food typically served on airplanes, as revealed by her former royal pilot, Graham Laurie, on Hello!'s "A Right Royal Podcast."
The Humble Culinary Choice
It is intriguing that despite having access to the world's most elite chefs, Princess Anne has developed a soft spot for a unique frozen delight. According to Laurie, the Princess Royal became "obsessed" with a specific type of frozen airplane food that stands in stark contrast to typical royal catering.
What Is This Unique Food?
This may sound unusual, but Fray Bentos meat pies are her favorite. These iconic flat-tinned pies became a staple on royal flights after the aircraft were upgraded to handle frozen goods. Laurie recalled on the podcast that they never left the tarmac without these tins, which he described as the "bottom line in catering."
The Mid-Air Meals Were Not Exactly Fancy
The stewards would prepare a gravy by adding some spices and serve steak and kidney or chicken and leek pies with tinned vegetables and potatoes. Laurie noted that Anne really appreciated the change of pace, saying, "I think it was a change from all the fancy first-class food." This simple approach to food also extends to her home at Gatcombe Park.
Love for Food
According to reports, she prefers food that she can quickly defrost when she has guests, accompanied by boiled potatoes and peas. Her goal is efficiency; as she once said, "All one wants is everyone out of the house by 9:15 p.m. at the latest." Even her dessert choices are very low-key. Instead of fancy cakes, she has been known to give guests a chocolate ice cream to eat on their way out to the car. This practical approach also applies to her fruit choices. Former royal chef Darren McGrady said she likes her bananas "black" because she finds them easier to digest.
Much like King Charles, Princess Anne often skips lunch due to her schedule. As a working member of the family, she sees food as something to keep her going rather than something she enjoys. Chef Michael Mercer recalled preparing a six-course meal for her, only for Princess Anne to have a cup of Earl Grey tea and politely leave. The Princess did not eat the meal, but she did not let it go to waste. Mercer said that her security team was happy to eat it after she thanked him and left for her event.
