Prince Charles' former chef reminisces about royal tours

CTV News Channel: A feast for royalty Former royal chef Carolyn Robb speaks about what goes in to planning and preparing a meal for royalty.

Chef Carolyn Robb may be enjoying the Royal Tour more than usual this time because she doesn’t have to cook.

Chef Robb worked as Prince Charles’ personal chef from 1989 to 2000, during which time she accompanied him on trips from Brazil to Bhutan. Robb was interviewed for the job by Princess Diana, went foraging for mushrooms with Prince Charles at Balmoral and spent time baking with wee William and Harry, tales she shares in some of her "The Royal Touch" cookbooks.

“I think every royal tour is very gruelling,” she told CTV News Channel Thursday, from her home near Oxford, England.

Although Robb said the royals eat many meals prepared by locals, their personal chef must be ready “to provide any little thing that will pick them up and help them on their way.”

Children can be picky, “so it’s important to find local foods that they like,” Robb said, adding she would always carry some foods “that we’ll be able to pull out at a moment’s notice and keep them happy.”

She didn’t say which foods she would bring to comfort the children, but it was Robb’s mother’s chocolate biscuit cake recipe that Prince William chose for his wedding to Kate Middleton.

Chef Robb said it has been especially exciting for her to see footage of Prince George and Princess Charlotte “out and about” during their tour of B.C. and Yukon.

“We haven’t seen very much of them,” she said. “Such beautiful children.”

Robb said royal tours don’t leave a lot of time for staff to explore while travelling, but whenever she got time off she would visit a local market.

“Although it was hard work,” she said, “it was immense fun.”