THERE is a rather beautiful moment in the famous 1969 fly-on-thewall documentary Royal Family, a moment that many Field readers will be familiar with. It is of a simple – and decidedly not grand – family barbecue on the banks of a Scottish river, presumably the Dee. A young Prince Charles whisks the salad dressing and the Duke of Edinburgh turns slabs of steak and sausages on the charcoal grill as Princess Anne plays sous chef. The Queen prepares the salad while an unruly little Prince Edward clambers over the Land Rover and demands to know what the spoons are for.
It is a rare insight into the equally rare downtime the Royal Family must be able to enjoy together, but what a fine way they choose to do it. The annual family barbecue at Balmoral has become a private Royal tradition, and for many decades saw Prince Philip, tongs in hand, at the helm. Indeed in the touching family interviews after the Duke’s death, many of the younger generations mentioned their grandpapa’s wood-fired culinary wizardry, with the Duke of Sussex dubbing him “a master”, the Duke of Cambridge “a dab hand” and HM The King remarking that his late father “adored barbecuing and [he] turned that into an interesting art form”.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of The Field.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2023 edition of The Field.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The apple of your eye
With scores to choose from in the UK, there is a delicious apple variety for everyone - and now is the ideal time to start thinking about planting one
Art in the field
Being able to study her subjects as she races alongside them has informed Belinda Sillars work, as she explains to Janet Menzies
A silvered sword from the Saxon armoury
With weaponry from the electoral court, the more silver on show, the higher the rank of the owner
Nicole Moore
The Shooting Girl With An Afro blogger explains her passion for fieldsports and outlines the importance of sharing skills and knowledge with newcomers
'Probably the greatest detective in the world'
For 100 years, on page and screen, Hercule Poirot has captivated audiences around the globe with his supreme intellect and peculiar eccentricities
View from a Bridgerton
They were the 18th-century version of a drinks trolley and now hunt tables are popular once again, partly due to Regency-period television dramas
A brush with history
Britain is world renowned for its contribution to hair care and grooming, and, as its oldest firms will testify, heirlooms come in many forms
Practically perfect
From modest origins, the gilet has evolved into a sporting wardrobe staple, combining function and fashion to become a status symbol in its own right
Best laid plans
The ancient craft of hedgelaying is playing a central role in efforts to restore the balance of nature on our farms
Under the spell of spaniels
Our favourite working breed comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, all of which have successfully carved out their own special niche in British sport