The Princess Remembered

In 1985, the Princess of Wales stepped into the spotlight as she whirled around the floor with John Travolta following a State Dinner at the White House. She wore a midnight blue silk velvet gown and the 7 strand pearl and sapphire choker that stunned the world. The large sapphire with 2 rows of diamonds surrounding it was originally a brooch and given to the Princess by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as a wedding gift.
According to the Crown Jeweler, sapphires and pearls were particular favorites of the Princess. She wore them well, she had fun, and she was the cover story around the world. The Victor Edelstein evening gown she wore that evening brought the highest bid years later at a charity auction at Christie’s in New York in 1997 commanding $225,000 and breaking the record for a garment at auction.
On an official visit to Canada in 1983, she wore a yellow gown with the famous Queen Mary Tiara which was loaned to her by the Queen for various state occasions, along with matching pearl drop earrings. Yellow was one of her favorite colors as is the rose honoring her. And it was estimated that her royal jewels valued in excess of $27 million.

Then it was home again to the world that didn’t suit her at times. At Buckingham Palace, there are 20 chefs and the kitchen is a mile-and-a-half away from the dining room. They can prepare a banquet for 250 or a garden party for 6,000. The chef says dessert might be served in "a marble bowl set on three standing horses encrusted with rubies, diamonds and sapphires." The next night, he says, the royal family could be at Balmorals Castle in the Scottish Highlands eating out of Tupperware.
In contrast to the lavish state dinners, Lady Di would entertain no more than 10 guests at a time as she wanted to connect with each one. It also wasn't unusual for her to have lunch in the kitchen, where she'd chat with the chef about what was on the TV or what the queen just told her.
Chef McGrady served for 11 years in the Queen's kitchens before becoming Princess Di's chef after her separation from Prince Charles in 1996. He says the Queen insisted on fresh scones for every tea, though she never ate them but crumbled them on the floor for the Corgis. Lady Di preferred a low fat diet and stressed healthy eating habits with her sons.
As for favorite foods, McGrady says the Queen loves chocolate and was never without her Bendicks Bittermints, an intense dark chocolate with peppermint. William liked roast chicken. Diana's favorites included stuffed eggplant and chilled tomato mousse. Croques Monsieur was traditional appetizer that was made at almost every Buckingham Palace reception.
Croques Monsieur
½ cup salted butter, softened
8 slices firm white bread
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, 16 thin slices with rind removed
8 (1-ounce) slices smoked ham
Preheat broiler. Butter the bread slices on both sides. Top 4 slices of bread with 8 thin pieces of Gruyère, followed by all 8 pieces of ham. Finish with remaining Gruyère on top of the ham, then lay the remaining 4 bread slices on top of the cheese. Place the croques monsieur on a baking sheet, and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the bread turns golden brown and crispy. Flip the sandwiches over carefully, and brown on the other side. Remove from broiler. Trim crusts, and cut each sandwich into 8 pieces. Serve immediately.Visit these host sites for other colorful posts.

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