The untold truth of how the royal family eats

So you think you’re fancy? You think that Michelin restaurant you visited last year is the pinnacle of choreographed, opulent dining? Think again. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the British royal family — you know, the most famous family on the planet, and one of the wealthiest, too — live an utterly unique gastronomic lifestyle.

It’s not just the bizarre magnificence of their meals and traditions that proves fascinating about the royals, however, but also the day-to-day quirks each of them enjoys or insists upon.

The media circus behind the family often makes it easy to forget that they’re, you know, actual human beings, with foods they hate and silly little preferences and personal touches they like to add to their meals. And then, of course, there’s stuff like the fact that they’re not allowed to drink tap water. Seriously. It’s a strange life.

They’re banned from lobster, crab, shrimp and the like, for the simple reason that it’s just too much of a risk. Shellfish, of course, is a notorious source of food poisoning and the rigorous schedule and constant touring of the royals means that taking the risk of being put out of action for any period of time is a serious no-go. The same logic applies with other meats, and the leading members of the family are also forbidden from eating anything cooked rare.