Princess Diana’s former butler is shedding light on Buckingham Palace’s champagne problems. More specifically, the staff member who worked in the Palace for more than a decade is sharing why it was called the “gin palace.” The butler drops a bombshell in his new book while giving an insight into the staff’s drinking habits.
Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler, is set for the release of his new book, “The Royal Insider.” In the book, he shares how the royal staffer managed to consume gallons of gin over the course of a single week.
“I quickly became familiar with the ingenious ways in which the household smuggled booze for their soirées,” he writes in his book, according to a report by The Sun. He also shared how he often would get an order from a senior staff member to empty a screw-top tonic water bottle every night.
He was then asked to fill those same bottles with gin so the staff could use the alcohol to party in their rooms. Burrell recalled how footmen would often be carrying around Russell Hobbs electric kettles that would be “full of gin.”
Fox News Digital spoke to royal experts who shared how the drinking habits were not limited to the staff members alone. “It was an open secret that the Queen Mother (Queen Elizabeth II’s mother) enjoyed ‘a tipple,’ according to her biographer William Shawcross,” Richard Fitzwilliams shared.
He went on to share how the Queen Mother would enjoy “ceaseless” social rounds. Reportedly, her drink of choice at noon was Dubonnet and red wine at lunch. She would also opt for a martini in the evening and pink champagne after her dinner.
The royals are known to have their signature drinks to cater to their personal tastes, according to reports. Queen Elizabeth was a gin and Dubonnet drinker. Princess Margaret would drink her Famous Grouse whiskey. Princess Catherine’s drink of choice is a gin and tonic.
Prince William, who knows his wife’s fondness for the drink, reportedly often brings her a glass of it before bed. A friend of the couple revealed the same in a 2021 interview with People. “They look after each other, but in different ways,” the friend of the couple noted.
Hilary Fordwich, who is a royal expert, shared how Kate has an alternate order, which is “much sweeter than most drinks.” The Princess of Wales reportedly liked a mix of vodka, passion fruit, and raspberry liqueur. Sometimes she tops off the concoction with champagne. The drink was reportedly served at Kate and William’s wedding.
