King Charles is set to revamp the Royal Family’s Christmas dining traditions. The Royals, who traditionally congregate at Sandringham for the festive period, will see changes initiated by the King, starting with the menu.
Notably, foie gras has been removed from the Christmas spread, according to the Mirror. In previous years, the Royals reportedly savoured this delicacy, with former Royal chef Darren McGrady telling Hello! magazine that Harrods would provide ‘an entire foie gras en croute’ (basically foie gras in pastry) for their annual festive buffet.
But animal welfare advocates have long criticised the production of foie gras, which involves force-feeding ducks, and there are ongoing campaigns to ban the luxury food item. It’s reported that other traditional meals, such as rabbit stew, will not be present at Sandringham this year either.
This change aligns with King Charles’s personal dietary habits, as he’s long been known to avoid meat and now has a ‘medical incentive’ to eliminate red meat entirely, according to Jennie Bond, ex-BBC Royal correspondent. Speaking exclusively with OK!, she said: “I don’t think it will be much of a sacrifice for Charles to cut out red meat. He has always been very conscious about his diet – very rarely eating lunch.
“And for many years he has deliberately avoided meat and fish on two days a week. He has also reduced his intake of dairy products in recent years. Some of this is for environmental reasons, but now there is a medical incentive to cut out red meat altogether.
“He probably will miss his organic roast lamb… but I’m sure he is totally focused on his recovery and will do anything the doctors say to beat or control the cancer.”
In February, King Charles received a cancer diagnosis and has since undergone a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery to combat the disease. Although he has not yet been given the all-clear, the Palace has previously expressed optimism about his progress, and he has gradually resumed his public duties.
Jennie’s thoughts also follow insights from a Royal source who told The Mail On Sunday that avocados were now a frequent lunchtime snack for His Majesty. Up until recently, the King had apparently always missed out on lunch amidst his jam-packed schedule of Royal engagements, but doctors urged him to rethink.
“With some reluctance, he now has something to eat at lunchtime – a snack, really,” the source claimed at the time. “He now eats half an avocado to sustain him through the day. It’s important, particularly if you have got an illness.”