How A Late Night Snack Got Prince Philip Confused For A Gardener

No one could argue that Prince Philip didn't love to cook. According to Hello! magazine, the royal figure would always travel with an electric glass-lidded frying pan so he could prepare his own meals when he needed to; the prince also had a fondness for whipping up late-night snacks for himself and the Queen after the royal attendants had left for the night. This love for late night snacks led to one predicament where Darren McGrady, the personal chef of the royal family, recalled when a staff member mistook Prince Philip as a lost gardener of the royal grounds (via Delish).

Late one night at around 11 PM, Prince Philip wandered into the staff kitchen, most likely searching for a snack. However, thanks to the casual outfit the royal was wearing, Chef McGrady initially mistook Prince Philip for the royal gardener. 

As it turns out, the Prince had a habit of surprising McGrady in the kitchen. According to Express, Prince Philip once came across McGrady preparing lamb and proceeded to commandeer the entire cooking process, and ended up cooking the lamb on the grill for McGrady. This event left McGrady stunned in the best way possible, as he stated, "There was I, his chef, I mean, what was I supposed to do, go out and do royal engagements while he was doing my job in the kitchen?"

Considering Prince Philip's predisposition towards loving food, it's no wonder that royal staff members caught him red-handed in the staff kitchen looking for late-night snacks. The Prince had a deep love for cooking, and always grilled game outdoors when the royal family vacationed at their Balmoral residence (via Express). With favorite meals ranging from mushrooms a la creme to salmon coulibiac, Chef McGrady believes Prince Philip loved to eat and stated that the Prince "would stand and talk food all day," (via the Independent).

The Prince's love for food helped inspire some of our favorite memories of the royal, as well as helped define his larger-than-life presence in the public eye. Clearly the man loved good cuisine and wouldn't let courtly decorum stop him from breaking into the staff kitchen for a late night snack. These hilarious anecdotes dotted the royal's life and truly made this figure relatable to everyone. For a Prince, he took his love of the finer things to the next level, a trait we can all get behind.