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Royals drinking fizzy drinks - Prince Harry, Zara Tindall and Prince William© Getty

Do royals drink fizzy drinks? Zara Tindall’s habit revealed

Prince William, Prince Harry and the younger royals don't shy away from a sugary can of pop

Kate Thomas
Lifestyle Managing Editor
Updated: October 11, 2024
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The royal family’s eating and drinking habits have long fascinated the public due to the secrecy shrouding their daily lives. From whether it's acceptable for royals to drink alcohol to Princess Kate's exact daily diet for staying fit and healthy, there are many questions on royal watcher's lips.

This week, we found ourselves wondering... do royals drink fizzy drinks? While we can't imagine health-conscious King Charles or Queen Camilla cracking open an ice-cold can of soda, it seems the royals aren't immune to the appeal of a sugary can of pop – and it turns out Coca-Cola is the drink of choice.

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Grant Harrold, who was a member of the King and Queen's royal household at Highgrove and whose duties included butlering for the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry, revealed that the younger royals – and Zara Tindall in particular – enjoy a fizzy drink.

Reminiscing about his very first encounter with Zara, Grant told HELLO!: "The very first royal that I met was Zara and it was back in 1997 and I remember she requested a can of Coca-Cola.

"I was so excited to be asked to serve a royal that I took it on a silver tray with a glass and a can, and she just took the can."

Zara Tindall in burgundy coat and blue hat© Getty
Zara Tindall is partial to a Coca-Cola straight from the can

And it's not just fizzy drinks that are readily available in royal households as the younger family members often liked to pimp up their water with squash.

"The royals do love a fizzy drink, more so the younger senior royals than the older ones. We always had fizzy drinks around for them. They also like squash, orange squash," Grant added.

Royal drink orders

Tea

Meghan Markle drinking cup of herbal tea at home in California© Sussex royal
Meghan Markle is partial to a cup of herbal tea

It’s no surprise that tea is a staple in royal households – after all, Brits and tea go hand-in-hand. Princess Kate loves a builder's brew with just a splash of milk while Meghan Markle is said to prefer herbal tea over a classic cuppa.

As for the late Queen Elizabeth II, she was a fan of Assam and Earl Grey and would always start by pouring the tea in first before adding her milk.

Coffee

Kate Middleton buying cup of coffee to go© Alamy
The Princess of Wales favours a decaf coffee

The royals are partial to a cup of coffee, too. However, several members of the family have kicked their caffeine habit for health reasons.

Harry supposedly cut back on caffeinated and alcohol while his wife Meghan was expecting baby Archie, but close friend professional polo player Nacho Figueras revealed he does still enjoy coffee on occasion.

Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales was spotted at Starbucks grabbing a beverage to go, opting for decaf coffee.

Alcohol

ueen Elizabeth II attends a reception for winners of The Queen's Awards for Enterprise, at Buckingham Palace on July 11, 2017 in London, England© Getty
The late Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed a sweet white wine

Yes, royals can drink alcohol! In fact, the late Queen Elizabeth II was famously known to enjoy a gin and Dubonnet as well as a glass of crisp white wine (preferably Riesling).

Princess William is partial to a pint, while Princess Eugenie enjoys a vodka soda with lots of lime, which she says you "can't beat". However, royals will never get drunk – even on special occasions including Christmas.

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“I can hand on heart say I have never ever seen a member of the royal family drunk. If we're talking about staff members, that's different ball game!," Grant told us during an etiquette event hosted by Press Box PR. "But again, you never saw them drunk, even dare I say Harry, never in person. I’ve never seen any of them drunk.”