Remembering Queen Elizabeth II – The Taucker Travel Blog

Our longtime world-wide partnership with Carolyn Robb, formerly then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s executive chef for 13 several years, has enriched guests’ travels in the Uk through specific shows loaded with behind-the-scenes tales (and recipes). It is been 1 thirty day period considering the fact that the passing of Queen Elizabeth, and we’re honored to share with you Carolyn’s private, heartfelt reflections.

Wednesday night (September 7th 2022), through a cheerful Tauck England, Scotland & Wales tour farewell dinner, I talked at length to the team about my previous manager, Prince Charles, and why, in the fullness of time, I understood he would make a superb King. Less than 24 hrs afterwards His Majesty King Charles III ascended to the throne. Even as gorgeous bouquets are laid in excellent swathes in every single corner of the place, by those people paying out their respects to our late Queen, it however someway appears surreal and inconceivable that our one particular ‘constant’ in excess of the past 70 a long time, is no longer with us.

For the duration of my outstanding 13 decades as a Royal chef, I was hugely privileged to fulfill The Queen on numerous instances each individual one so memorable in its have way. All through my initially few months at Kensington Palace, when I was cooking for TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and their young children, I accompanied them to Windsor Castle, where by they ended up becoming a member of the once-a-year Royal Loved ones Xmas collecting. On Christmas early morning, (the 1 day in the yr when I had assumed that the Queen would not undertake any ‘duties’) I was amazed to be identified as to a single of the drawing rooms in the castle, alongside with all the other associates of staff who ended up on obligation that day. Her Majesty shook each of us by the hand, claimed a number of words and phrases and handed out fantastically wrapped gifts. I was thrilled with the exquisite lavender cleaning soap that she kindly gave me, but that paled into insignificance in comparison to the gift of her time. Her words to me were being heat, partaking and humorous and most notably, it was an ‘un-rushed’ dialogue, regardless of there currently being a home whole of folks for her to ‘get through’ prior to she could rest and love the day’s festivities with her relatives. She commented on the actuality that I was doing the job on Xmas day I desire I experienced experienced the presence of head at the time to ask her if she ever, at any time gave herself a ‘day off’.

I believe I know what the solution would have been.