AMP in the post
Speaking to Insider, McGrady said palace life is pretty much a free ride, “like living in a hotel,” but in some ways like Downton Abbey.
The Queen’s Former Chef Darren McGrady Spills The Tea
“It’s a village, a world of its own,” he said, “the cherry on the cake is Her Majesty at the top of it all.”
The Queen’s London residence is swanky as can be with almost 800 rooms, daily freshly made breakfast, a three-course lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, all gratis. The staff even had their own bar!
It’s hard to see what’s not to like, why for example Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would ditch royal life for the drudgery of paying their own bills—oh, my bad, they still don’t do that!
AMP in the post
Buckingham Palace Is All That And A Bag Of Chips
McGrady says that even the “servants never had to make their beds since, “Each floor had its own cleaning lady that would come in and make the beds, change the towels, give you soap.”
“It was like a hotel, an institution,” he revealed. “You can see why people stayed there for 30 years or more because you were given everything you needed. What you were paid was just pocket money,” he said.
It Wasn’t All Fun And Games At The Palace Though
McGrady toiled at the palace for over a decade and noted that the male and female staff living quarters were separate, and one could get “in serious trouble” if you were caught sneaking around where you shouldn’t be!
AMP in the post
McGrady Was The Chef At The Queen’s London Residence From 1982 Until 1993
For any aspiring chefs who think the palace gig is to-die-for, McGrady has a word of caution, namely, check your ego at the door.
“Well, when you move to Buckingham Palace, everything is how the Queen likes it. It doesn’t matter if you think it needs more salt or cream, you cook it how the Queen likes it. It’s not about how the chefs want to prepare it,” he said.
And, garlic-loving chef’s need not apply. According to McGrady, the pungent aromatic was strictly forbidden by the queen!
It must be like a mini-city there.