The Signature Condiment Queen Elizabeth Prepared For Royal Barbecues
Prince Harry's new memoir, "Spare," has provided a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes details about the British royal family. Many of them are unflattering, of course, notes The New York Times, which helps to explain why Prince Harry's book has been received so critically in the U.K. Global News recently reported, for example, that Prince Harry's popularity had plummeted after the publication of the book, with only 26% of Brits still viewing him in a positive way.
Despite the uproar surrounding the book's publication, not all the stories of royal life depicted in "Spare" are negative. Some details of life behind palace walls, in fact, are rather charming. For instance, Prince Harry's memories of summer barbecues at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the royal residence maintained by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died last September at the age of 96, per The Guardian.
As London's Evening Standard recalls, the queen's consort, Prince Philip, had his own special dish he prepared at these summer cookouts, and the queen herself was also a willing contributor. Apparently, Her Majesty was quite fond of making a particular condiment.
All hailed the late queen's bbq skill
Garlic has always been anathema at royal get-togethers, per AOL, so we know at least one ingredient that wasn't included in Her Majesty's signature salad dressing. Yes, that's right. According to The Evening Standard, Prince Harry's new memoir reveals that Queen Elizabeth II typically made the salad dressing during summer barbecues at Balmoral. Even though Prince Harry was spilling the tea in the book, he did not spill the recipe or any details about the dressing.
It was her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, however, who was the real barbecue aficionado. The Evening Standard reports that Prince Philip even had a special trailer erected at Balmoral to hold the cookout equipment. But rather than making hot dogs or hamburgers, Prince Philip preferred to use the grill to cook up spaghetti bolognese.
Sadly, there is no information given about what King Charles III liked to make or eat during these summer barbecues since the current monarch — his official coronation is scheduled for May 6, per Country Living – is noted for his eccentric eating habits. But Prince Harry's memoir does reveal that the new king was perhaps overly enamored with his own aftershave during those summer stays at Balmoral. That's one of the details in "Spare" that's not so charming.