Prince Phillip the Grill King! Mary Berry reveals the late Duke of Edinburgh was a genius behind the grill – cooking Sandringham game – and says she once said NO to lunch with the Queen
- Mary Berry spoke at the BFI Radio Times Festival in London on Friday
- Speaking to broadcaster Claudia Winkleman, the doyenne of British baking revealed anecdotes about her experiences with the royal family over the years
- Said corgis, the Queen’s beloved dogs, would be taken away by a “man in white gloves” after spending time with the monarch
- Prince Phillip once told her over lunch that he loved barbecues and would cook Sandringham venison, saying: “He really knew what he was talking about.”
Mary Berry has shared anecdotes about her time spent with the royal family over the decades – including discussing BBQ tips with a “chatty” Prince Phillip at an intimate lunch hosted by the Queen some time before he died last year.
At the BFI Radio Times Festival in London, the doyenne of British cuisine told broadcaster Claudia Winkleman about attending a family dinner with the Queen and her late husband – and a whole host of corgis – in attendance.
The 87-year-old told the audience that she initially declined the invitation because she was “double booked” as she had already committed to performing at a ticketed event at Earlham Hall in Norfolk.
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King of Barbie! The Duke of Edinburgh is pictured at the annual garden party at the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh in 2017. Speaking at the BFI Radio Times Festival in London this weekend, Mary Berry revealed that Prince Phillip is an accomplished BBQ chef
Describing how she was “alone in the kitchen” when she took the call from the Palace, she admitted she initially thought it was a settlement, saying, “I didn’t think it was from the Palace, I thought it was like my son Thomas fooling around with his friends.’
After turning down the offer due to the previous commitment, the backing legend finally accepted, saying she started deciding what to wear and chose a dress from the John Lewis sale.
She said: “I had one girl, Victoria, to look after me and I explained I wanted something with sleeves, not too cleavage not too short and she had a splint for me and that at the end was on sale , down to £54 and I bought it.
Although the queen of cooking didn’t specify when she was attending the lunch, she did tell the audience that sitting next to Prince Phillip, she soon discovered his love for al fresco cooking.
Cook royally! Queen Elizabeth pictured with Mary at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2017. The former GBBO judge also revealed that she once said NO to lunch with the Queen
During the 2019 show, which saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge team up with Mary Berry for a BBC One show, Prince William enlisted the help of former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain to help him roll up a roulade
She said: “There were only 12 of us and it was so clever because they had an oval table and you usually have mum and dad at each end, don’t you? But she and Phillip sat in the middle, which was so clever, and I sat next to Prince Phillip.”
Describing her conversation with Prince Phillip, she said the King was “very chatty” and told her he was “the expert on barbecues and when he was at Sandringham he used the game and stuffed them with stuffing”, adding: ‘He really knew what he was talking about.’
The chef also revealed that another highlight was meeting the Queen’s corgis, saying they “ran around” before a “white-gloved guy” took them away.
In 2019, Berry filmed a Christmas special with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, A Berry Royal Christmas for BBC One, in which the couple recounted how Prince William had tried to woo Kate with his cooking skills in her early days of courtship.
The Duchess of Cambridge said: “During his university days he cooked all kinds of meals. I think he was trying to impress me, Mary! Things like bolognese sauce and stuff like that.’