The Favorite Drinks of the Royal Family Members May Surprise You
Whether you’re enjoying a glass of wine with dinner or cracking open a beer at the end of a long day, we all have our go-to sips that help us unwind. The royal family is no different — and we’ve got the scoop on a few of their favorite drinks.
You might remember a rumor going around a few years ago that Queen Elizabeth enjoyed several boozy beverages throughout her day, but former royal chef Darren McGrady set the record straight on Her Majesty’s real drinking habits. According to his 2017 interview with CNN, the mix-up — which had media outlets claiming Liz started her mornings with a gin and tonic and poured out four or five more drinks throughout the day — was due to a poor telephone connection and McGrady’s accent getting in the way. “All I said was she likes gin and Dubonnet,” he clarified. “That’s her favorite drink.” For those unfamiliar with Dubonnet, it’s a blend of fortified wine with herbs and spices that has a fruit flavor.
As for her husband, Prince Philip, the Telegraph reports that he prefers to keep things simple with a pint or two of beer. They list his favorite brew as Boddingtons, a popular UK brand based in Manchester.
It’s pretty much the opposite for his son, Charles, who likes a much fancier drink: 15-year-old aged Laphroig scotch whisky. The future king has been known to order up dry martinis, too, with an equal 50/50 mix of gin and vermouth. We couldn’t find any word on whether he prefers it shaken or stirred, though.
And you might be surprised to learn that Charles is not even the most indulgent royal is when it comes to their reported drinking habits — at least as far as price tags go. It was Prince William who apparently laid down a whopping $178 for a single cocktail on at least one occasion. The expensive beverage included brandy, peach liqueur, and an entire bottle of Champagne. This was obviously during William’s younger days when he could be spotted at London night clubs. More recently, he declared himself a “cider man” while visiting a pub post-lockdown.
His wife Kate, on the other hand, is reportedly partial to whiskey, but doesn’t go for the same fancy scotch as her father-in-law. Instead, she’s been known to throw back shots of Jack Daniels. She and William have also been seen chugging pints of Guinness while visiting Ireland over the years.
Of course, we all remember Prince Harry being a notorious for his partying back in the day. Unlike his brother’s pricey sips, however, the Telegraph claims he enjoyed the popular mix of vodka and Red Bull. The energy drink no doubt helped him stay awake on all those late nights out! He was apparently known to be particularly fond of Ciroc vodka, but has likely slowed down his hard liquor swigging in more recent years. As for his wife Meghan, before becoming a duchess she revealed a preference for red wine and would even choose a glass or two at the end of a meal rather than desserts like chocolate cake.
It seems like a pretty balanced mix of options between the royal family’s favorite drinks. Now we can all imagine we’re enjoying a whiskey, wine, beer, or spirit with them the next time we have a sip!
