Here's What Prince Harry Typically Eats

Prince Harry and his wife, the former American actress Meghan Markle, have been put through the ringer in the last few years. Their recent departure from Kensington Palace sent shockwaves through England and made much of the British press lose credibility. And it's not like Prince Harry, despite his powerful position in England, hasn't experienced his fair share of hardship over the years.

But through it all, one thing's been constant, as it is for us all: food. From homemade comfort foods like mac and cheese and cottage pie to both British and American fast food, Prince Harry is as big an eater as any of us (although he's cut back on unhealthy foods since his days of bad boy bachelorhood). As it turns out, a lot of Prince Harry's typical meals aren't too different from ours. We dove into the Duke of Sussex's royal food preferences so that you, too, can eat like a prince.

Before Prince Harry was introduced to Meghan Markle by a mutual friend, the Duke of Sussex didn't have the healthiest eating habits. He had a reputation for being the royal family's designated bad boy and spent his time drinking and partying to his heart's content. 

But since meeting Markle, he's made some drastic changes to his diet. Gone is the pizza and fried chicken of his youth. With Meghan by his side, he's now eating kale and quinoa — and learning to cook it, too. 

According to Andrew Morton, the members of the Royal Family "eat to live rather than live to eat." Markle, on the other hand, is a passionate foodie with a (now defunct) wellness blog who "loves cooking, exploring new foods, and experimenting with fresh flavors." 

People Magazine reported the couple "both felt amazing leading up to the wedding. And he couldn't have done it without her support."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who recently bought a nine-bedroom, 19-bathroom home in Montecito, California, are settling in nicely to their new American lives. According to Entertainment Tonight, the couple has stopped at In-N-Out Burger a few times for burgers and shakes — as well as a few items off the secret menu.

Apparently, the two were driving from Los Angeles to their home in Santa Barbara when they got hungry and decided to stop. The In-N-Out employees were shocked and excited when they saw the Royal couple pull up at the drive-thru — and who wouldn't be? It's not every day that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex show up at a random fast food joint in the middle of your shift asking for a burger, animal style. 

It's safe to say the British Prince has fully embraced his new life in the United States — fries and all.

Before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met, the Prince could occasionally be spotted at a now-defunct Notting Hill restaurant (though other locations remain open). The Rum Kitchen serves — you guessed it — rum-based cocktails and Caribbean-inspired food, from jerk chicken to curry mutton, a spiced slow-cooked lamb served with rice, peas, and roti.

In 2013, Prince Harry was spotted dining at the Rum Kitchen with then-girlfriend Cressida Bonas. The restaurant's extensive drink list, careful food preparation, and island vibes make it obvious that this is a place fit for a prince! Everyone needs an island vacation every once in a while, and though we imagine a trip to the Caribbean is feasible for the Prince of Sussex, we commend him for supporting a local restaurant. He had to brave the paparazzi, but after a few shots of rum and some time on the dance floor, we suspect it was worth it.

Prince Harry has come a long way since his days of getting stripping in Vegas and drunkenly telling "eye-wateringly rude jokes" (via Daily Mail). Gone are his days of being the Royal bad boy. He served in Afghanistan, he married Meghan Markle with whom he has a young son, and most importantly, according to Food & Wine, he doesn't even eat pizza anymore.

On a trip to the United States in 2017, Prince Harry joined Michelle Obama for a visit to a Chicago classroom. While there, one of the students insisted that Prince Harry try a slice of deep-dish pizza before he left town. That's when Prince Harry admitted he's not a big fan of pizza anymore, much to the dismay of anyone who's ever had a pizza-based Prince Harry fantasy (we see you).

"I don't even eat pizza anymore," he told the group. But don't worry, there's still hope. "But I had pizza last night. We had deep dish and thin crust."

Prince Harry can be a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to food. Some of his favorite foods are classic British cuisines, from yorkshire pudding to cottage pie, the latter of which has been Prince Harry's preferred comfort food since he and his brother were young. 

Darren McGrady explained to Delish that cottage pie is "a traditional nursery dish" made with ground beef and mashed potatoes, topped off with a layer of cheddar cheese. After a week away at school, the boys would return to Kensington Palace to enjoy their favorite homemade comfort foods.

"This was a real treat for them to come home to," McGrady said. "Some steaming hot cottage pie with that melted cheese on the top."

The authentic cottage pie recipe was created as a way to use up the leftover meat from a Sunday roast (via Spruce Eats). But if you've already polished off the roast, freshly ground beef works just as well — and we're willing to bet the Royal family didn't often eat leftovers. 

Regardless of how it was made, cottage pie was one of the young Princes' favorite foods. McGrady said that when the boys were home, if the dish wasn't on the menu, "they'd come in and say, 'Can we have some cottage pie, please, for dinner?'"

The Duke of Sussex has reportedly been known to frequent a popular UK fast casual restaurant called Nando's. Both William and Harry are fans of Nando's famous chicken, but, as reported by Express, Prince Harry's typical Nando order might disappoint the chain's diehard patrons.

Nando's is best known for its hot chicken, a dish with African roots. As The Guardian reports, you can order Nando's chicken four different ways: extra hot, hot, medium, or lemon and herb. Our precious Prince Harry opted for the mildest option — a double chicken wrap with lemon and herb sauce. It appears that a hint of spice is too much for the Duke of Sussex. 

But regardless of how you may feel about Prince Harry's Nando's order, he seems to be as devoted to the chain as anyone. When he met Robert Brozin, the co-founder of the hot chicken joint, he told him he loved Nando's — but not as much as his bodyguard. 

"This man here is your biggest fan, he's introduced me to Nando's," Prince Harry said. Maybe he at least appreciates the heat of a real Nando's hot chicken.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married, their choice of wedding cake was "a refreshing and modern choice," according to pastry chef Bea Vo (via Eater). The couple chose a lemon and elderflower cake for the big day, which was a departure from traditional Royal wedding cakes. 

But since that fateful day, the Royal couple has been made to suffer through some brutal media attention. In January 2020, CNN reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be taking a step back from their duties in the royal family. Since the couple's engagement, the British media frequently denigrated Markle, to the point that she ended up suing the Mail on Sunday newspaper (via BBC) for their "ruthless campaign," (via CNN) as Prince Harry called it. 

Many of these UK media giants accused the Duke and Duchess of having their cake and eating it too. 

"You know, you are either a member of the royal family or you're not," Arthur Edwards, a photographer for the Sun tabloid told the National Post. But despite the blowback they've received from both the media and the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be doing just fine — we hope that cake tastes good.