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Princess Eugenie Reveals That She Breaks This Royal Cooking Rule

She can't resist the flavor

Princess Eugenie.
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In case you're unaware, Princess Eugenie is quite the foodie. She spilled back in 2016 that she “[loves] cooking programs” and she even took a baking class in 2021 to support a charity that fights modern slavery. Now, in a recent appearance on the podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, the 33-year-old princess revealed that she often breaks the royal rule of never cooking with garlic and onions.

Why are garlic and onions a no-no in the royal family? Well, for the most obvious reason: They make your breath smell.

For senior members of the royal family who have a countless number of engagements, they can't afford to have smelly breath when meeting with people. That's why Queen Camilla said on MasterChef Australia, “Garlic is a no-no...You always have to lay off the garlic.”

This rule goes back to Queen Elizabeth II, who was staunchly opposed to the pungent vegetable. In 2020, royal chef Darren McGrady told Delish that the late queen banned garlic from all her dishes (but when he cooked for Princess Diana, she often wanted it). The Sunday Express shared a similar sentiment in 2018, when they reported, “Garlic [was] banned from being included in foods eaten by royal family members. With many meetings between official visitors, it is thought to be advised against to prevent any awkward bad breath.”

elizabeth hero
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However, in her appearance on the Table Manners podcast, Princess Eugenie revealed that she doesn't live by this rule when she started listing ingredients that she orders from the supermarket company Waitrose.

“We do one [Waitrose] order every week and everyone piles on everything they can on Sunday night and it comes on Monday morning,” the princess said. “Sundays are quite sad looking at my fridge.”

When asked what she gets, Princess Eugenie said, “Nothing interesting really. Chicken, sausages, always. Potatoes, onion, garlic.” She then revealed that she's never allowed to have onion and garlic at her parents’ house, as Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson ban the vegetables, just like many other royals.

eugenie hero
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Who knew royal rebellion came in the form of root vegetables?

26 of the Most Ridiculously Strict Rules the Royal Family Must Follow


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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.