\n<\/p>\n
Balmoral<\/a> has been the summer residence of the British royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria, whose husband, Prince Albert, purchased the castle<\/a> and the surrounding 7,000 acres in 1845. For Queen Elizabeth II<\/a>, the estate nestled in the Scottish hills was her favorite home\u2014the place where she could enjoy her most carefree, happy, and unburdened moments. Every summer the queen and Prince Philip welcomed their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to Balmoral\u2014a grand family reunion<\/a> enlivened by many outdoor activities: horseback riding, hikes in the countryside, hunting, fishing, and ever present barbecues. The latter was a great passion of Philip\u2019s<\/a>\u2014who was, not surprisingly, nicknamed \u201cthe master of the barbecue.\u201d<\/p>\n Chef Darren McGrady<\/a>, who worked for the late Queen Elizabeth for 15 years, recalled that the prince \u201cloved to cook and cared about foods and recipes. He\u2019d go on to ask what we could marinate them with and what vegetables were in the garden\u2026. Then he would be in charge of cooking the main course.\u201d Philip enjoyed grilling meats such as lamb, venison, or sausage, cooking them along with delicious side dishes, including classic foil-wrapped jacket potatoes\u2014with butter, oil, and spices\u2014made directly over the coals.<\/p>\n The prince was certainly not the only royal who lent a hand in the kitchen. For example, Princess Anne<\/a> helped her father tend the grill, but that wasn\u2019t all. \u201cYou\u2019d often get Princess Anne come down to the kitchen and say: \u2018I\u2019m in charge of the first course tonight. What can I take?\u2019\u201d McGrady recounted. Prince Edward<\/a> also pitched in. With a huge sweet tooth, he wanted to make pancakes and would often ask the staff to prepare the batter: \u201cHe\u2019d want to fill them with things like raspberries or strawberries from the garden\u2014with ice cream,\u201d McGrady said.<\/p>\n Several people close to the royal family have said that Queen Elizabeth enjoyed washing the dishes. It was a habit that often surprised her guests, including heads of government. In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait<\/a>,<\/em> biographer Gyles Brandreth recounted the exceptional testimony of former British prime minister David Cameron: \u201cI\u2019m not making this up,\u201d Cameron began, as if to emphasize the extraordinary nature of his story. \u201cYou sat down, and Prince Philip and Her Majesty the Queen served your dinner and cleared it away and washed it up while you sat talking with the other guests.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n