No champagne and caviar for Margaret
PRINCESS Margaret had modest tastes in food and drink, according to secret documents released today.
Despite her glamorous image, the Princess, below, preferred simple meals to fancy royal banquets.
Before a visit to Mauritius in 1956, the island’s governor, Sir Robert Scott, was told she was “not fond of either caviar or oysters” and would rather drink wine than champagne, although she did enjoy the occasional whisky and soda. Sir Martin Gilliat, the Queen Mother’s private secretary, sent several messages setting out Margaret’s likes and dislikes.
Another Clarence House official wrote: “The Princess prefers meals to be as simple as possible and not to last too long. Three or four courses for lunch and five for dinner are quite sufficient.”
The file is among a batch of colonial era documents released by the National Archives.