Queen Elizabeth's Practical Food Philosophy Is So Relatable

Today, Thursday, September 8, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II, ending her 70-year reign (via BBC). Her Majesty was appointed to the throne in 1952 and served longer than any monarch in the U.K. Her son, Charles, is now officially known as King Charles III as a result of her passing. After news of the Queen's death got around, tributes started pouring in on Twitter, including a post from Chef Gordon Ramsay. "You will be so missed, a truly remarkable woman who gave so much to us all in Great Britain and worldwide ... Rest in perfect peace your Majesty," he wrote.

It seems like celebrity chefs and royal chefs both have thoughts regarding the Queen. Graham Tinsley, a chef with a history of cooking for the royal family, claimed that security was much stricter when Her Majesty was present, according to Hello! Magazine. "If we were catering for a Heads of State banquet, however, then all the catering staff would have to meet at a police station and get a motorcycle ride into Cardiff Castle," he said. He also revealed that at some events, knives, food, containers, and other equipment had to be X-rayed. Another royal chef shared some information regarding the Queen's eating habits, and honestly, they might come as a surprise.

Although Queen Elizabeth II could essentially have anything she wanted, she kept her food choices relatively simple, according to Delish. This information was shared by Chef Bryan Kozlowski in his book, "Long Live the Queen! 13 Rules for Living from Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch." Apparently, her Majesty wasn't particular when it came to what she ate because "to her, food is just fuel." In fact, the royal staff oftentimes ate more extravagant dishes than the royal family itself. She did, however, have a notebook with her at the table to jot down any thoughts regarding her meals.

So, what exactly did she eat? According to another chef, Darren McGrady, she started off her day with a bowl of Special K cereal (via British Heritage). For lunch, she typically enjoyed grilled fish or chicken along with a gin and Dubonnet cocktail. At dinner, she had even more meats and vegetables with a glass of champagne. Most importantly, though, she had a huge love for chocolate cake. Who knows? Maybe chocolate cake is the key to living deep into your 90s.