Foods Royal Family aren’t allowed to eat and the surprising reasons why

When it comes to dining, the British Royal family follows a set of rules that most of us could never imagine.

While most people eat whatever they want and enjoy, members of the Royal family are expected to avoid certain foods.

Believe it or not, these restrictions aren’t just about personal tastes, but health concerns as well as Royal etiquette.

Let’s take a closer look at the food the Royals can't eat and why:

Garlic

The working Royals spend a lot of time at public engagements, whether they are supporting charities, attending fundraisers or socialising with high profile guests.

With this sort of constant interaction, the late monarch Queen Elizabeth II enforced a rule: no garlic. She prohibited garlic consumption at royal events, ensuring that conversation with guests stayed pleasant. 

Out of season fruits

Royal dining isn’t just about protocols, it is also about preferences. While protocol often plays a big role in what can be eaten in public, it isn’t the only factor.

Sometimes, personal taste comes in between and sets the boundaries, showing tradition and taste can go hand in hand at the royal dinner table.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady once revealed that Queen Elizabeth II loved the strawberries that were freshly grown on one of her estates.

According to Readers’ Digest, the Royal chef stated, "Try including strawberries on the menu in January and she'll scrub out the line and say 'don't dare send me genetically modified strawberries."

As for King Charles, coffee and chocolates are some of the things that aren’t his favourite, so it is unlikely that those items will be offered to him for consumption. 

Raw Meat

To not put the Royal family members’ health at risk, royal dining rules also don't allow them to consume raw meat.

Rare meat is also off limits, since it also carries risk of getting sick. Despite such strict rules, the Royals still indulge in their love of meat.

During a visit to the Oxford House Nursing Home, in 2023, Kate Middleton revealed that she likes the way kidneys taste and when it came to family barbecues, the late Prince Phillip back in the day was known as the grill master. 

Can’t accept alcoholic drinks from strangers

Declining drinks from strangers is sensible, but for the royals it's a strict rule.

As per the reporter Gordon Rayner, who covered more than 20 royal tours, King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla often pack their own alcohol when traveling.

This is to ensure their safety. Talking to Condé Nast Traveler, Gordon shared, "Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall sometimes take their own alcohol so there's no danger of their drinks being spiked."

"Their police bodyguard will discreetly carry a bag of their drinks."

Shellfish/Seafood

Shellfish/Seafood was also banned from the Royal menu by Queen Elizabeth in fear of potential food poisoning risks.

While speaking to The Express, former butler Grant Harrold explained, "When dining, the Royal Family has to be careful with shellfish due to shellfish poisoning, due to their work schedules."

"Therefore you will not normally find this on the royal menu."

Tap water

Apart from the alcoholic beverages, the Royal family aren’t allowed to drink tap water. This rule exists to avoid food poisoning.

According to The Sun, they avoid consumption of food and drinks that could upset their stomach causing them to rush to "the loo," during busy royal engagements.