Celebrity

Princess Diana Was Not A Fan Of Champagne & Cocktails But She Did Have One Favourite Tipple

A former royal chef knows exactly which drink she preferred.

While it’s been 25 years since the tragic death of Princess Diana, there is still an abundance of information about the late Princess that we are yet to discover.

With endless films and TV shows depicting her life before she passed, there’s one thing that they haven’t touched on—her drink of choice.

Whether you’re a royal or not, a stressful week can see many of us excited to pour ourselves a glass of wine to wind down. And it turns out, Diana was rather similar, well, kind of.

In an interview with Bustle and on behalf of UK coffee retailer Coffee Friend, Darren McGrady, a former royal chef for the family, shared a bevy of unknown details about Diana’s food and drinks of choice, including that of the alcoholic variety.

Working at Buckingham Palace and serving Her Majesty for 11 years—whose been told to ditch her daily tipples—McGrady also spent time working for Diana at Kensington Palace after her divorce from Prince Charles. During this time, Chef McGrady became incredibly familiar with the diets of the British royal family. 

Princess Diana
(Credit: Getty Images)

While he explained that the late Princess “wasn’t a big drinker”, she did fancy herself a tipple of Chardonnay here and there. 

“Puligny Montrachet was the wine we served the most at Kensington Palace,” he told the publication. And while she occasionally reached for that Chardonnay in particular, she steered clear of champagne, red wine and cocktails.

“I remember in the kitchen one day she came in, and there was an event going on. She was talking about the drinks and said ‘I can’t take champagne, it just gives me the giggles so I have to stay away from it’,” McGrady recalled. 

“She also couldn’t drink red wine as it gave her the most awful headache, and Diana would stay away from cocktails—they would zap her out completely,” he added.

And while alcohol wasn’t a treat that Diana typically reached for, she did enjoy snacking on Cadbury’s Twirl chocolate bars, lychee fruit and cheese.

“I would keep a bowl of lychee fruit in the kitchen all the time. Diana would come in, pull up a chair and just chat while eating fruit and cheese like a squirrel,” McGrady explained, adding, “she would leave the kitchen covered in shells and stones.”

There you have it, Diana’s favourite snacks are not only relatable, but eating like the late Princess is as easy as a trip to your local supermarket.

Related stories