Balmoral has long been a beloved summer escape for the Royal Family, offering a chance to swap palace life for the tranquil surroundings of the Scottish Highlands. Former royal chef Darren McGrady has revealed that family meals could be surprisingly hands-on at Balmoral. Princess Anne, he said, would regularly head down to the kitchen and ask what she could prepare. He said: 'You’d often get Princess Anne come down to the kitchen and say: "I’m in charge of the first course tonight, what can I take?"' He said: 'Dinner for her was 6.30pm, but if the royal family were dining, she couldn’t go to eat or go to bed at her usual time.