The British royal family has strict rules and old traditions. One of them concerns sandwiches.
London – The fascination of royalty has fascinated people for centuries. No matter what a royal wears, eats or does: fans of Queen Elizabeth and Co. follow royal life with eagle eyes. Of particular interest are all the do’s and don’ts that govern the lives of William*, Kate* and the entire family. So it is hardly surprising that even the preparation of simple sandwiches is strictly regulated. For a curious reason, these must not be angular.
Teatime in the British royal family: Square sandwiches are taboo
While in Germany people invite people to “coffee and cake”, in Great Britain people meet for afternoon tea. This is a small late afternoon meal intended to bridge the time between lunch and dinner. A properly executed teatime consists of three courses. Beginning with sandwiches, the second course is scones with clotted cream and jam and ends with cakes and biscuits. The old tradition is also practiced in the British royal family, but the Queen’s cooks have to pay much more attention to the preparation.
Sandwich rule forbids corners: The reason is surprising
A former royal chef has opened up about the Queen’s odd eating habits. In an interview with the weekly magazine hellomagazin.de , Graham Newbould said that Queen Elizabeth II* never ate a single sandwich with corners during his entire time at court. Instead, the monarch is served small “penny jam” sandwiches at afternoon tea.
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According to Graham, this habit is based on an old misconception: “The royals never eat square sandwiches because tradition has it that anyone who serves them pointed food is trying to overthrow the English throne.” Another theory sees the origin of round sandwiches in the imagination of Prince Albert. The husband of Queen Victoria, who ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, thought eating coffin-shaped food was fatal.
Instead of lobster and caviar: The Queen’s favorite food is simple and down-to-earth
Another ex-chef, Darren McGrady, gave details of the Queen’s eating habits, saying she doesn’t just eat “fancy, sumptuous foods”. Rather, she would only serve it up when she was receiving guests. Then the Queen gives “a banquet with lobster and caviar and things like that, but otherwise she just eats healthy – a little grilled fish with some salad.” He also confirms the special preparation of the sandwiches. McGrady says jam pennies are one of the Queen’s favorite dishes. “It’s just bread and jam,” he explains. The preparation is very simple: Take white bread, of course cut it into small circles and spread a layer of strawberry jam in between. A really royal and really down-to-earth meal is ready.
In addition to rounding off all dishes, there are numerous other rules in the British royal family. Some of them are more than a hundred years old, but nowadays they only make limited sense. The Queen and her family still hold onto most of the extraordinary traditions. From the garlic ban to the right time to wear a tiara*: British royals don’t have it easy. Even the leisure activities of the royals are strictly regulated. Prince George is worried about his new hobby William and Kate *. (ale)
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