The Queen kept specific rules in place when it came to her royal menu.
This Is the One Thing Queen Elizabeth Refused to Eat in Italy
Published on Feb. 07, 2025
Queen Elizabeth passed two years ago, but she continues to intrigue us, especially when it comes to her eating habits. Who doesn’t wonder how royalty feasts? From her favorite pancake recipe to her two-ingredient scrambled eggs, we like to have a glimpse into the daily life of a Queen. Luckily, we still have Kate Middleton to teach us how to eat our rolled oats in the morning.
Not every meal is a royal fit though, particularly when it comes to other countries’ cuisine. According to an old BBC News report, Queen Elizabeth once asked for a traditional staple to be banned from her menu during a trip to Italy.
What did Queen Elizabeth ban on her trip to Italy?
The local chefs working at the palace of the Italian president were told to put a kibosh on garlic, long noodles and any type of “messy” tomato sauce. Yes, that means delicious spaghetti. While it may seem like an odd choice to us, it’s a different world for royalty. One can’t be seen taking important meetings with a tomato sauce stain on her lovely outfit. It’s also difficult to eat long pastas silently.
This wasn’t an unusual practice for the Queen. She consistently banned shellfish, rare meat, foreign water and any food that was too spicy or too exotic. Queen Elizabeth wanted everything to go smoothly during her trips and had no room for gastrointestinal catastrophes. I wholeheartedly agree with her stance there.
None of this is to say the Queen didn’t have her favorite foods. She loved a bit of Dundee cake with her daily 5 p.m. break for a traditional cuppa. She also enjoyed a full English breakfast, including wholemeal toast, oatcakes and orange marmalade.
