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To Princess Diana’s former butler, Buckingham Palace was the “gin palace,” where the drinks never stopped flowing.
Paul Burrell, who served at the royal residence for 11 years before moving to Kensington Palace, has written a new book, “The Royal Insider.” In it, he said that gallons of gin were consumed every week, “some legitimately, some not.”
“I quickly became familiar with the ingenious ways in which the household smuggled booze for their soirées,” he wrote, as quoted by The Sun. “I would be ordered by senior members of staff to empty a screw-top tonic water bottle each night and fill it with gin for them to use for parties in their rooms.”
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“Footmen could be seen carrying Russell Hobbs electric kettles around the palace, not full of water but full of gin,” he added.
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that palace aides weren’t the only ones who loved their libations behind closed doors.
“It was an open secret that the Queen Mother (Queen Elizabeth II’s mother) enjoyed ‘a tipple,’ according to her biographer William Shawcross,” Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “She enjoyed ceaseless social rounds and, reportedly, a gin and Dubonnet at noon, red wine at lunch, a martini in the evening and pink champagne after dinner.”
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“Queen Elizabeth was known to be partial to a gin and Dubonnet, which was her favorite cocktail,” he shared. “Princess Margaret was especially fond of Famous Grouse whiskey. It has also been reported that Princess Catherine enjoys an evening gin and tonic. Meghan Markle famously named her blog The Tig after Tignanello, her favorite wine.”
In 2021, a family friend told People magazine that Prince William is known for bringing his wife, Kate Middleton, a classic gin and tonic after putting their three young children to bed.
“They look after each other, but in different ways,” the friend said.
Occasionally, Kate craves something sweeter, British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
“Princess Catherine always liked vodka, passion fruit and raspberry liqueur, which is much sweeter than most drinks,” Fordwich said. “She even finishes it off with a dash of champagne. It was served at her wedding to Prince William.”
Even health-conscious King Charles won’t pass up a good dram.
“Charles is a man of healthy habits,” Valentine Low, author of “Power and the Palace,” told Fox News Digital. “He skips lunch. He has a very light breakfast. But a government minister, Michael Gove, once told me how he went on a trip on the royal train with the then-Prince Charles. In the evening, he was summoned for a nightcap with Charles and was offered a very good malt whiskey — a glass of Laphroaig.”
“They had a nice chat about all sorts of things, including government policies,” Low said. “And then, at the end of that nightcap, he realized it was time to go when there was a discreet knock at the door.
“The next morning, he was invited to have breakfast with Charles. But before he went, Charles’ private secretary suggested he might want a ‘big boy’s breakfast’ beforehand. So, he joined the private secretary for eggs, bacon and toast. Then he went to see Charles, who offered his own breakfast — a small glass of healthy juice and a few nuts and seeds.”
“He had two breakfasts that day,” Low added.
Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the monarch, 76, is known to be a “lighter drinker” who occasionally prefers a martini “meticulously prepared with equal parts gin and vermouth.”
When it came to his mother, the late queen, Fordwich said she favored Dubonnet and gin before lunch, wine with her meal and a dry martini in the evening. Sometimes she would indulge in champagne at night. The routine echoed the Queen Mother’s.
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Reports said the queen preferred Bollinger champagne, which has held a royal warrant since 1884. Her husband, Prince Philip, was more of a no-frills drinker.
“Prince Philip would not often drink wine at banquets, preferring a bottle of beer instead,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
Philip’s drink of choice was Boddingtons Bitter.
The royals could generally handle their alcohol — except for one senior member.
“Prince William, rather admirably in my opinion, has the nickname ‘One Pint Willy,’” said Fordwich. “It refers to his low alcohol tolerance, compared to the rather robust drinking habits of the rest of the royal family.”
The nickname was given to William by former rugby star Mike Tindall, who is married to the prince’s cousin Zara. He revealed it in 2023 on Rob Burrow’s podcast.
“He’s not the best of drinkers,” said Tindall at the time.
But in his younger days, William had more stamina, said Fordwich.
“He enjoyed a kamikaze shot [during his clubbing days],” she said. “It combines vodka, lime juice and triple sec.”
His late mother, Diana, broke from the mold and didn’t have a regular drinking ritual. She was said to enjoy white wine, particularly Chablis, and peach Bellinis at social events.
In 2019, Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl reported that Prince Harry, who was once known for knocking back vodka Red Bull chasers at nightclubs, had adopted a healthier lifestyle thanks to his wife. Today, he reportedly starts his day with a green juice.
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