The Internet Is Loving The Story Of A Mongoose Eating The Queen's Chocolate
It's a well-known fact that the late Queen Elizabeth II was a major chocoholic. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, she would typically indulge in British dark mint chocolate after dinner (via Express). "Anything we put on the menu that had chocolate on, she would choose, especially chocolate perfection pie," he said. She was also a big fan of Charbonnel et Walker – one of the first chocolatiers in Britain. According to its website, the company's relationship with the royal family spans further than that. Former Prince of Wales Edward VII apparently encouraged Mme Charbonnel and Mrs. Walker to team up and form their brand. Other royal fans of the treats included Princess Diana and Princess Margaret.
Seemingly, chocolate and a bit of gin were the queen's favorite indulgences, per The Telegraph. Along with her chocolate ganache sponge cake and chocolate mousse, chef McGrady revealed that lunch and dinner mostly consisted of grilled protein and vegetables. "When she dines on her own, she's very disciplined," he said, "No starch is the rule." As royalty, nobody was likely to stand in the way of the queen's desires. Well, nobody besides a mongoose that once stole her beloved chocolates.
It took a bite of every piece
Lady India Hicks, King Charles' goddaughter, shared on Instagram a time when her mother's (Lady Pamela Hicks) pet mongoose Neola came into the queen's room and stole her chocolates. Apparently, the queen would bring two boxes of chocolates when she came for a visit: one for the host and one for herself. The biggest upset? Neola didn't just eat one or two chocolates, but instead took a bite out of every single one. The comments section expressed love for this hilarious story. "Well, it's hard to know what's inside each chocolate! Neola was just trying to find his favorite!" one comment read. Another user wrote, "I truly love the stories your mother tells regarding The Queen ... and I'm so grateful that you are sharing them with us."
According to Express, Her Majesty had a tight bond with former lady-in-waiting Pamela Hicks. In the ITV documentary "My Years With The Queen," Hicks shared that Queen Elizabeth II "is an amazing person. There's such inner strength there. And she has just remained like that throughout her life." They were so close that Hicks was a bridesmaid at the queen and Prince Phillip's marriage. With so much love between the two, one might imagine that Queen Elizabeth II probably forgave her – and her mongoose – for the chocolate debacle.