Guilty pleasures aren't just for commoners!
Queen Elizabeth Was a Big Fan of This Delectable Comfort Food
Published on Apr. 03, 2025
Caviar? Truffles? French pastry that looks like it was photographed for a magazine? If you’re the British monarch, you can have fancy foods all day long. But we bet you’ll never guess the one dish the late Queen Elizabeth II secretly craved the most. It’s something most of us regularly have on our snack plate too—even though the royal take on it came with a special twist and, of course, a very fancy name.
The queen’s former chef, Darren McGrady, spilled the beans about Elizabeth II’s secret guilty pleasures in a radio interview. As her chef for 11 years, he knew all about her favorite foods, as well as all the ones she would never eat. Read on to find out what dish he served when the queen had a craving for comfort food.
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What was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite comfort food?
Believe it or not, Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite comfort food was a fancy grilled cheese sandwich known as a Croque Monsieur. “It’s a melted cheese on toast, made with Gruyère cheese and ham,” McGrady told the hosts of The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Sydney, Australia’s KIIS 106.5 FM. The traditional French snack, which literally means “Mister Crunchy,” was invented in Paris in the early 20th century and first mentioned in Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time in 1918. Today, it’s a staple in most bistros and cafes across France and a quick snack many French people make at home.
Gruyère cheese, which has been used for the sandwich from the beginning, is surprisingly not a French cheese but a Swiss cheese! It comes from the region of the same name in central Switzerland and is known for its nutty and strong flavor. If you want to prepare the original version of Croque Monsieur, you’ll also want to buy jambon de Paris, a classic and widely available cooked French ham. (It’s a little different than the regular deli ham you’re probably used to, so if you can’t get your hands on it, use prosciutto instead.) The Croque Monsieur is typically served with french fries and a salad.
What was the queen’s twist on this classic sandwich?
While the traditional Croque Monsieur is filled with melted cheese and ham, and topped with bechamel sauce, Queen Elizabeth II liked hers with “whipped eggs” on top as well, according to McGrady. This take is a slightly amended version of another classic French snack called Croque Madame (“Madame Crunchy”), which comes with a fried egg on top of the bechamel sauce. That sounds delicious—and definitely more tempting, at least to us, than Princess Diana’s secret go-to snack.
Was this the queen’s midnight snack?
No, Queen Elizabeth II didn’t have her grilled cheese sammy before (or even after) bedtime. “When she was hungry in the night, she would get some chocolates from the sideboard or a piece of fruit,” said McGrady in the same interview. And while we love the idea of the queen tiptoeing into the kitchen in her gown and slippers in the late hours to get an apple, a pear or some chocolate pralines, it’s unlikely this was a very regular occurrence.
McGrady describes the late monarch as “very disciplined” when it came to food—and, as royal fans will know, pretty much everything in life. She might have had four meals a day (plus the occasional late-night snack), but it was still all about moderation and “small portions.”
What other foods did Queen Elizabeth love?
Of course, woman cannot live on grilled cheese alone (or so we hear). Here’s what else went on the queen’s plate when she wanted something comforting and delicious:
- Fish and chips: Like most Brits, the queen was a fan of fish and chips. But according to McGrady, the version she preferred wasn’t with the traditional batter but “panko crusted.” She would enjoy it with “chips piled and stacked up like in the game Jenga,” he said.
- Morecambe Bay potted shrimp on toast: This is another British classic. The shrimp for this dish are harvested at the North Eastern coastline of the same name, before being cooked and marinated in a spicy butter. The queen liked them spread on warm toast.
- Sandwiches with smoked salmon, tuna or jam: No day would go by for Elizabeth II without a traditional English afternoon tea, when she’d have a selection of sandwiches, scones and pastries. Her sandwiches of choice: smoked salmon and cream cheese or tuna-mayo. Butter and strawberry jam was another combo she reportedly loved.
- Chocolate: McGrady says the queen was also very much a chocoholic. Chocolate biscuit cake, in particular, was an all-time favorite, but just like with her late-night pralines, she’d have only “the tiniest slice.” When it came to chocolate and truffles, she had “very floral tastes,” according to head chocolatier of her go-to-brand, Charbonnel et Walker. Rose and violet were reportedly at the top of her list.
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on Queen Elizabeth’s favorite comfort food, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- The Kyle & Jackie O Show, July 27, 2020
- The French Cooking Academy: “Croque Monsieur”
- Culture Trip: “A brief history of the Croque Monsieur, France’s cheese toastie”
- Delish: “Yes, the cows really make a difference when making Gruyère—Here’s how”
- The Independent: “Everything the Queen eats in a day, according to royal chefs”
- The Independent: These are the queen’s favourite chocolates, according to a royal chocolatier”
- Food & Wine: “How Queen Elizabeth impacted what we eat and drink”
- Daily Record: “The queen’s favourite sandwich that has been on royal menu for 90 years”
