Prince Harry’s proposal to Meghan Markle did not include fireworks, a sign written in the sky or all the pomp andcircumstance that comes with being royal. In fact, it was quite the opposite, alow key night in his Kensington Palace home with his love, cooking a roastedchicken. To the world, and all the dreamers who one day imagined themselvesmarrying the British royal, it may have seemed quite blasé but to former royalchef Darren McGrady, it was perfect. "I used to cook roasted chicken for themall the time." he tells HELLO!. "Harry loved that."
The chef reveals that the33-year-old’s pranks back then even made their way to the kitchen. "I came backto do dinner and there was a note on the table. It said, 'Darren, please cancelthe roast chicken and vegetables tonight for dinner and give the boys pizza instead,Jess," The Royal Chef at Home author recalls. "It was in ten-year-oldhandwriting. Harry wrote it. I sent the chicken; I was scared of the nanny."
The chef says that Harry has always been a prankster when it comes to the kitchen. Above, the young Prince makes toast in his House Kitchen while a student at Eton Photo: Getty Images
One person who never let anyone get inthe way of how she spent time with her boys or what they wanted was theincomparable Princess Diana. “They were her babies,” he says. “They could haveanything they wanted.” Though she won’t be there on Saturday to watch heryoungest son marry, the People’s Princess will be there in spirit. “Diana willbe looking down watching her little boy get married.”
Darren, whose first job with the royalfamily entailed cutting carrots for the Queen’s horse, also sees so much of hismother in him. "He has the Princess’ loving and tender side," he continues. "Heleads from the heart and doesn’t conform."
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Such is evident in his bride-to-be:Meghan. "For a long time, it was history repeating itself. You have the Queenand Princess Margaret," he explains. "Princess Margaret was the party girl, andhere you have the same thing. Eventually he found someone – that interview, mygoodness. The way they look at each other, they are so in love."
In their pre-wedding interview, Meghan and Harry revealed they got engaged over a roast chicken meal – "I used to cook roasted chicken all the time," Darren tells HELLO!. "Harry loved that"
It’s been over 20 years since the EatingRoyally author worked for the family, but he wouldn’t miss Saturday’s nuptialsat St. George’s Chapel in Windsor for anything. "I’ll be hosting [at Kellogg’sNYC] with seven recipes I created," he says, before taking a fitting strolldown memory lane. "Seeing him get married, I held him as a baby. Diana waseating cereal in the kitchen at Windsor Castle and asked me to hold Harry. I’mliterally holding the crown jewels in my hands as she ate."