Queen Elizabeth II Enforced Surprising Rules on the Royal Family, Including Bans on Certain Foods, Words and Games
Queen Elizabeth II Enforced Surprising Rules on the Royal Family, Including Bans on Certain Foods, Words and Games
Morning Honey Staff Sat, August 1, 2026 at 9:15 AM UTC
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The late Queen Elizabeth II had a few unusual rules for the royal family | Image source: Wikimedia Commons/Chatham House
After reigning as Queen for seven tireless decades, Elizabeth II was both loved and feared in the same capacity. But one thing that people might not know about the late monarch is that she banned several things within her family during her reign.
Queen Elizabeth II reportedly enforced some unusual rules that members of the royal family had to follow, covering everything from food habits to games. She also exhibited her influence over certain work restrictions as well as dictating which words could be used within the family.
Royal Chef Breaks Silence on the Late Queen’s Culinary Rules
Although being born into the Royal Family means one has access to the best of everything, there were certain rules imposed by the late Queen Elizabeth on her family.
During a 2017 Marie Claire interview, royal chef Darren McGrady revealed certain food items that were prohibited in Buckingham Palace during the Queen’s reign.
Starting with garlic, McGrady said that since the late Queen detested the vegetable, it was taken off the menu. Even Princess Eugenie has spoken about the no-garlic rule at her parents’ house.
“She hated the smell of it, she hated the taste of it. There weren’t banned foods, but [Queen Elizabeth] didn’t like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial,” McGrady said.
Similarly, even shellfish was another delicacy that was banned by the late Queen. Former royal butler Grant Harrold told The Mirror that because shellfish can cause food poisoning, making it difficult for royals to perform their duties, it was prohibited by the Queen.
Harrold said, “It is a very sensible move to abandon having seafood when out and about on public duties.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s Unusual Rules for the Royal Family
In addition to the strict rules against certain food items, the late Queen Elizabeth II also reportedly banned certain words and games in the royal household.
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According to Italian commentator Marina Viro’s 2020 interview with the Express, the Queen had banned the word “toilet” from the royal vocabulary.
She instead encouraged the use of “lavatory” or even “loo” because toilet sounded “too banal, not very chic, unpronounceable at court.”
Further, she also banned words like couch, courtyard, posh, perfume, pardon, and more. To call one’s parents, kids were expected to use terms like mummy and daddy.
During Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s discussion with the Express, he previously revealed that the family was prohibited from playing Monopoly.
“We’re not allowed to play Monopoly at home. It gets too vicious. Some people get quite cross when they lose,” he explained.
Finally, in the late Queen’s long list of prohibited things, the royal staffers were banned from using vacuum cleaners before 8 a.m.
Since Queen Elizabeth II liked slow mornings, only starting her workday at 10 a.m., Buckingham Palace staff were ordered to begin vacuuming after 8 a.m.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
