Princess Michael of Kent refused to eat a Chelsea bun – while judging the World Chelsea Bun Awards.
The 78-year-old king, who is married to Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin of the late queen, stepped in to help out at the awards ceremony at Partridges, an upscale Piccadilly shop that supplies groceries to the royal family.
Princess Michael’s daughter-in-law, Lady Sophie Windsor, was due to judge the awards ceremony but had a scheduling conflict and asked her mother-in-law to step in.
But royal ties seemed to mix, as Princess Michael was unaware that as a judge at a baking competition, she had to eat everything.
“I was not told by my daughter-in-law that I would do a taste. Because I won’t taste it,” she said on Channel 5’s The Royal Borough: Kensington & Chelsea, which airs tonight.
“When she said, ‘Help me, is a wonderful children’s charity,'” she didn’t say I had to try it.
Image-conscious Princess Michael has kept fit well into her eighth decade and previously said she avoided foods with cream or salt.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2007, she said she prefers English food to French because she is “very health conscious” and French food has “too much cream”.
However, she added that while there is “too much salt and pepper” in British cuisine, she likes it because it’s “simple and not boring”.
“You don’t notice a lot of oil when cooking, nor too many herbs – again, a strange thing, apart from English herbs like rosemary,” she said.
The queen added that when she skips lunch, she “eats jelly” because it’s “filling and not fattening,” but a typical lunch for her would be “a delicious salad with lots of yummy things and a dressing of tahini and goat cheese”. Yogurt’.
On the show, Princess Michael decided to judge the buns by sight alone – before observing the other judges having plenty to eat.
“I assumed that the judges had to have a good bite of every bun,” she added.
“I have to say they look absolutely gorgeous, my expert eye goes straight to the greatest thing, they are beautiful,” she continued.
Princess Michael of Kent refused to try a Chelsea bun – while judging the World Chelsea Bun Awards. Pictured with John Shephard, the store’s manager
The 78-year-old king, who is married to Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin of the late queen, stepped in to help out at the awards ceremony at Partridges, which supplies groceries to the royal family
She noted that the pomegranate buns were “appealing” and the savory buns were “very interesting.”
“It’s so big, it’s almost a meal,” she added of another bun, before noting that it was “very, very, hard to judge.”
Partridges is a family run grocer based in St James that became the Queen’s favourite.
In 1991, Partridges received a call from the palace asking them to order some products.
At first no one was sure which palace it was, but luckily it turned out to be Buckingham Palace.
Partridges took the opportunity and received the Royal Decoration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Grocer in 1994.
In 2019 they created the World Chelsea Bun Awards and have hosted it every year since.
Princess Michael’s daughter-in-law, Lady Sophie Windsor, was due to judge the awards ceremony but had a scheduling conflict and asked her mother-in-law to step in, as seen on Channel 5’s The Royal Borough: Kensington & Chelsea
This year the competition was judged by Princess Michael of Kent and Queen of the Cake Jane Asher.
The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea explores hundreds of years of fascinating history while delving into the lives of the royals and super-rich who live in Britain’s most affluent borough.
Steeped in history, Kensington and Chelsea is where luxury living is the norm and royals are constantly out of the palace.
We discover how monarchs and aristocrats shaped the district and delve into the area’s glamorous past.
From homes worth over £20m to the most exclusive private members’ clubs, from gardens fit for a king to cake shops to impress a princess, this four-part series is an invitation to the wealthiest and most exclusive district Great Britain.
The Royal Borough: Kensington & Chelsea airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.