Prince Philip is getting ready to cross another major milestone. The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth will celebrate his 99th birthday this month as he remains the oldest living member of the royal family. While Philip is only one year away from hitting the century mark, a former royal footman has revealed the secrets of the diet that has kept him in top shape all these years.
Inside Prince Philip’s retired life
Philip and Elizabeth tied the knot way back in 1947 and have been married for over 70 years. He officially stepped away from his royal duties at the age of 96 and spends most of his time at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham estate.
When he was younger, Philip enjoyed country sports (like other
members of the royal family) and was big on driving carriages, a hobby that
takes considerable strength to endure.
Up until recently, he also liked to hunt, fish, and shoot on many
of the royal family’s country estates. But now that Philip is about to turn 99
years old, one of his favorite things to do to pass the time is walking around
Wood Farm.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Philip and Queen Elizabeth have been hunkering down at Windsor Castle. While Philip has been taking it a lot easier these days, his former footman, Charles Oliver, recently opened up about his secret diet — which was partly inspired by his hobbies of hunting and fishing.
This is the Duke of Edinburgh’s secret diet
Oliver revealed that Philip is very hands-on when it comes to cooking and often makes his own meals at Buckingham Palace. According to Express, Oliver noted that Philip’s favorite meals are breakfast and supper, both of which are heavy on the protein.
“Breakfast and supper snacks are his specialities,”
Oliver shared. “Wherever he goes, he insists on his electric glass-lidded
frying pan being packed so that he can do the cooking.”
Oliver added that Philip is “adept at producing quick, light
supper snacks,” and that he and Queen Elizabeth often eat them once their
staff members have retired for the evening.
Some of Prince Philip’s go-to meals include scrambled eggs,
sautéed mushrooms, omelets, smoked haddock, and bacon. These ingredients are
the perfect compliment to breakfast or supper, which is what Philip is all
about.
Philip’s former chef, Darren McGrady, has said similar things about the Duke of Edinburgh’s diet. Taking to YouTube, McGrady revealed that Philip likes to try new food on a regular basis, which is pretty much the opposite of Queen Elizabeth — who tends to stick to her favorites throughout the year.
Queen Elizabeth prepares to celebrate Prince Philip’s birthday
Although Philip is on the verge of celebrating his 99th birthday, he and Queen Elizabeth will be marking the occasion in private as the country continues to deal with the coronavirus. The royals have been isolating amid the crisis and are not expected to return to their regular duties until things calm down.
Unfortunately, this means that Prince Philip will not be having a
grand birthday party this year. In fact, he will likely only spend the day with
Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, though he might also video call other
members of the family.
Queen Elizabeth was also forced to have a low-key birthday back
in April. Her Majesty turned 94 years old and usually celebrates her birthdays
with the Trooping the Colour event, which was scheduled to take place in a few
weeks.
RELATED: Prince Philip Refuses to Do This One Very British Tradition
That event, of course, has been canceled. The royals have also been forced to postpone the anniversary of Elizabeth’s coronation, an event that should have gone down on June 2. Queen Elizabeth was crowned on June 2, 1953, marking her official accession to the throne.
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have not commented on the reports surrounding his diet. The Duke of Edinburgh is set to turn 100 years old next summer and hopefully things will have returned to normal by then.
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