Sweet moment Prince Harry learnt how to cook meal he made Meghan Markle before 'romantic' proposal
"He must have been paying attention"
A former royal chef has revealed how Prince Harry used to hang around in the kitchens as a boy – and learned to cook the special feast – a roast chicken – he later whipped up for Meghan Markle as they celebrated their engagement.
Darren McGrady worked for Princess Diana when her sons were young. He has revealed how Princes William and Harry would spend time observing how food was prepared, if they weren’t already occupied with activities such as playing PlayStation, watching TV, or riding their bikes around Kensington Palace.
He recalls one instance when Prince Harry’s larking about left him having to explain why a particular meal couldn’t be served as expected. But Darren – speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo – also shared how he believes he may have had an influence on Prince Harry’s romantic life years later as the royal doted on his new fiancée.
Prince William and Prince Harry in the kitchen
Darren explained about the royal brothers: “They never asked for cooking lessons. But one of their favourite foods was spaghetti bolognese.”
He went on to reveal: “I remember having [spaghetti] bubbling away on the stove for lunch. William was sitting on the window seat and Harry was looking around. I said: ‘Look at this. This is how you tell if pasta is ready.’
“I took a piece out and threw it at the wall, and it stuck. Harry said: ‘Oh wow.’ [Then] I drained off all the pasta and it was in the colander.”
Darren went on: “I was talking to Prince William and I heard this noise, so I turned around. Harry had just taken a big handful of it and threw it at the wall. It didn’t stick. It just slipped down the wall. And I had to explain to the nanny why lunch was going to be late because I’ve got to cook more pasta!”
What did Prince Harry cook for Meghan Markle?
Despite this claim about Prince Harry’s enquiring nature, Darren was also pleased that some culinary insight he passed on managed to stick more than the pasta.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they intended to be wed in November 2017. At the time, Meghan revealed the proposal was “so sweet and natural and very romantic”.
She added at the time: “[We were] trying to roast a chicken and it just – just an amazing surprise.”
“He got down on one knee,” she added.
Read more: Prince Harry set for ‘different path’ to ‘celebrity’ Meghan Markle as Netflix deal continues
A delighted Darren has reflected on how he may have had some input on Prince Harry’s ‘engagement chicken’.
I remember explaining to Harry how to cook a roast dinner.
He said: “The boys came in the kitchen a lot and would ask what was for dinner. They would ask how I cooked this and that. I remember explaining to Harry how to cook a roast dinner. So I was thrilled when I found out he cooked it for Meghan when they got engaged. He must have been paying attention.”
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