The Royal Family Just Hosted A Meat-Free Banquet At Windsor Castle

The British royal family recently served a meat-free state banquet while hosting the president and first lady of Nigeria.

Along with vegetables and plant foods, the banquet also included seafood, eggs, and other animal ingredients, making it pescatarian rather than vegetarian.

King Charles III welcomed President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to Windsor Castle with an opening greeting in Yoruba, the official language of Nigeria. He spoke of the “living bridge” that the UK’s Nigerian community forms between the two nations, and referenced Afrobeat music and Nollywood filmmaking.

Other guests included Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Christine Ohuruogu, an Olympic track and field athlete, Sir Ben Okri, a poet and novelist, and Maro Itoje, the England rugby captain.

Vegetarian starters and alcohol-free cocktails

The visit took place during Ramadan and was adapted to accommodate fasting Muslim guests by skipping the usual lunch, serving alcohol-free cocktails, and preparing a pescatarian menu. As some Muslims observe dietary requirements such as consuming only halal meat and avoiding pork, a meat-free menu may have been chosen by staff to ensure the entire meal was suitable for all attendees.

Guests were served an egg tartlet with watercress, kale, and basil sabayon to start, Turbot and lobster mousse with spinach, beurre blanc sauce, sprouting broccoli with Hollandaise sauce, fricassée of peas and broad beans, and Jersey Royal potatoes as the main, and an iced blackcurrant soufflé with red fruit for dessert.

The banquet also included the relatively new tradition of creating a unique cocktail for each state visit, in this case, a non-alcoholic cocktail named a “Crimson Bloom.” Inspired by the Nigerian Chapman punch, the Crimson Bloom featured the dried hibiscus-based drink zobo, rose soda, ginger syrup, lemon, and spices.

King Charles’ diet and meat-free meals

Photo shows King Charles III, a member of the British royal family, waving during an engagement in Rome, Italy. The royal family recently served a meat-free state banquet while hosting the president and first lady of Nigeria. — Marco Lacobucci Epp / Shutterstock King Charles has championed environmental causes for decades, but also owns animal farms and supports UK bloodsports

In 2024, King Charles gave up red meat while undergoing cancer treatment.

Speaking at the time, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said the change wasn’t “much of a sacrifice for Charles.” According to Bond, the royal has always been health-conscious and avoids meat and fish for two days per week.

King Charles, who has been outspoken about environmental issues since the 1970s, also reportedly limits his dairy intake to reduce his carbon footprint.