Princess Diana's Chef Opens Up About What She Was Scared To Do In Front Of The Queen

Darren McGrady is the former personal chef to both Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. He worked at Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace before moving to Dallas following the princess's tragic death in 1997, according to D Magazine. Speaking to the publication in 2004, McGrady dished on his time with the royal family, revealing that the way the kitchens worked at Buckingham Palace was similar to a hotel "in that the queen might have a charity lunch in one room while Prince Edward would be entertaining in another." The chef became close to Diana after their first meeting at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. He says he was "nervous," which led to the princess "embarrassing" him every chance she got after that. McGrady added that the princess made him feel welcome at Kensington Palace once he switched posts.

In a separate interview with Hello! in 2017, McGrady spoke about Princess Diana's publicly documented experience with bulimia, revealing that by the time he joined the kitchen team at Kensington, she had been in treatment for the eating disorder and was working on her health. At that point, the chef had to "start making healthy recipes for the princess." Now, more than two decades after Diana's death, McGrady says he misses her and the time he spent as her personal chef. 

In a more recent YouTube video, in which he reviews the latest Diana film, "Spencer," the Dallas chef opened up about a previously unknown detail about the late princess.

In a YouTube video posted on November 9, former royal chef Darren McGrady gave his thoughts on the newest Princess Diana film, "Spencer." The movie, which premiered on November 5, stars Kristen Stewart in the leading role as Diana and Sean Harris as none other than Darren McGrady himself. During the video, in which McGrady shared a few more of his favorite Princess Diana memories, he mentioned there was one thing she was scared to do in front of the queen, which was ask for seconds after a meal. Instead of asking for seconds at the table, Diana would wait until the meal ended and then sneak down to the kitchens to get her extra helping.

According to McGrady, Diana's favorite dessert was crepe soufflé, which he would make whenever she visited the queen at Buckingham Palace. While she ate the rest of the leftovers in the kitchen following lunch, she would talk about musicals with McGrady, including "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Misérables." These moments with the Princess of Wales clearly made an imprint on McGrady, as he enjoyed her company immensely. 

In "Spencer," it seems that McGrady is accurately portrayed as a man who saw Princess Diana in need of help, which was the objective behind his character, per Vulture. In the film, Diana seeks out companionship alongside McGrady, which fits in with the chef's own descriptions of the time he spent with the late princess.