This Royal Family Member Was Known For Their Barbecue Skills

Regardless of who you are or where you live, it's likely some of your best childhood memories center on spur-of-the-moment activities like firing up the backyard barbecue to grill a makeshift dinner of whatever's in the fridge. Maybe there's a catch of the day from a nearby lake. Sides? Grab a couple of tomatoes from the garden. There's basil growing in a garden pot by the patio. Sounds good, right?

Get this: Even laced-up royals love a good barbecue and we're not talking about a stuffy pinkies-up affair catered by staff. We mean the real deal — earthy food cooked on a charcoal grill and enjoyed family style with lots of love and laughter. In the British royal family, the grillmaster was His Royal Highness, the late Prince Philip, the longtime husband of Queen Elizabeth (via The Gentleman's Journal).

It's no secret Prince Philip loved to barbecue. During an official trip to Australia with Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, he famously stepped into the fray to flip a steak during an assembly of cooks attempting to break a barbecue record (via The Mirror). In 2021, Prince Harry's tribute to his late grandfather shed renewed light on one of the Duke of Edinburgh's favorite pastimes. In the moving statement, Prince Harry said, "He was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end," (via Newsweek).

Even  "The Great British Bake Off" judge Mary Berry was impressed with Prince Philip's grill skills. During an interview at a 2022 British media festival, Berry recalled sitting next to Prince Philip at a small gathering. Berry said the Duke entertained her with stories about his love of all things barbecue and the grill techniques he employed. "He really knew what he was talking about," Berry said (via Town and Country). And Prince Philip didn't just talk the talk.

In 2017, former royal chef Darren McGrady shared an anecdote with Marie Claire. "Philip would cook out on the grill," recalled McGrady. "He'd come down to the kitchens and discuss what food we'd have: 'Do we have any salmon that any of the family have caught? The queen's been picking strawberries with Princess Margaret, let's have those for dinner.'"

During the 2021 television tribute, "Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers," Prince Philip's daughter, Princess Anne, reminisced about helping her father at the grill. Prince William agreed, recalling, "Every barbecue I've ever been on, the Duke of Edinburgh has been there cooking. There's no chef, there's no anyone else," (via Bustle). And there was no shortage of laughter either. Prince William fondly recalled one of his grandfather's favorite pranks. He'd gather his grandchildren together and trick them into grasping a mustard squeeze bottle with both hands. Then he'd pounce: Clasping their little hands together to squirt the mustard all over the place, as Bustle reported.