Queen Elizabeth II has at least four alcoholic beverages every single day

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip open the new Metropolitan Police Headquarters

I’ve mentioned this before, but if there’s one thing I learned from Mad Men, it’s that people in that era were mostly drunk the entire time. In the 1950s and ‘60s, people had a friendlier relationship with alcohol, and there wasn’t a lot of the “you have a problem, you need to go to rehab” conversations taking place. I was reminded of that when I read Joan Didion’s books too, especially her most recent ones, where she basically admits she spent most of the ‘60s and ‘70s half in the bag. I tend to think it’s that way for most people of Boomers and that generation just before the Boomers, which happens to be the Queen’s generation. The Queen is not a Boomer. The Queen is 91 years old. And she prefers to have a nice cocktail buzz throughout the day. I, for one, cannot blame her. I too would love to be a day-drunk Queen.

Not only does Queen Elizabeth have staying power on the throne, but the 91-year-old can also hold her liquor. Despite her busy schedule, the monarch always has time for a cocktail — four per day, to be precise. Business Insider rounded up reports of what the Queen eats and drinks per day, and her drinking regimen is seriously impressive. Before lunch, she enjoys a gin and Dubonnet cocktail with lemon and ice.

The Independent reports that she enjoys a glass of wine at lunch alongside her food, which is usually healthy and simple — but also includes a piece of chocolate for dessert.

In the evenings, she is known to have a dry martini, though no word on whether she prefers it shaken or stirred. And she finishes her day with a glass of Champagne, often from brands like Bollinger, Lanson, and King. The Queen’s cousin, Margaret Rhodes, told The Independent her drink preferences never change. But other liquor brands are on offer at Buckingham Palace. PopSugar notes that there are royal warrants (marks of recognition that mean the Queen has ordered the product over the last five years) for Gordon’s gin, Pimm’s, Bacardi, and Bulmers cider.

That said, she’s apparently not a beer person; she turned down a pint of Guinness while touring the factory in Dublin.

[From Red Online]

Note: she has a gin cocktail BEFORE LUNCH. Then she has wine with lunch. And you know she might have more than one glass with lunch, let’s be real. So then that buzz keeps her going until the evening, where she probably also has wine with dinner, and she also enjoys what I would assume would be a pre-dinner cocktail of a dry martini. And then she ends the day with a glass of champagne? That’s the one part I don’t believe – I doubt she drinks champagne at the end of a day. I bet she’s drinking something, for sure. I just bet it’s something like a glass of Scotch. So just know this… if you’re meeting the Queen at any time after, say, noon, she’s probably got a buzz, at the very least.

… Now I kind of want to get drunk with the Queen while playing with her brooch collection.

Royals opens the Queen Elizabeth II Canal at the Helix, Grangemouth, Falkirk

Photos courtesy of WENN.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

179 Responses to “Queen Elizabeth II has at least four alcoholic beverages every single day”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. BearcatLawyer says:

    And she still does more events than the Doolittles.

    • Sabrine says:

      The Doolittles…..funny! but true. I love Amaretto and bought a bottle of it to sip a small glass in the evening. Unfortunately, my husband also likes it and a week later it was gone….so that idea is out.

      • Erinn says:

        My husband never really used to drink (still doesn’t often)… until I bought some amaretto. He loves the stuff as much as he’ll ever love any booze. I’ve noticed I’m getting less and less from a bottle than I ever used to.

      • AnnaKist says:

        Pour a shot of Amaretto over a bowl of good-quality vanilla ice cream. You won’t be disappointed.

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        I had this coffee/Amaretto/vegan cream in a coffee-shop and it was uber delicious.

      • Lolo86lf says:

        Amaretto will not give you a buzz.

      • LAR says:

        I buy port because I love it but my husband can’t stand it. That way, it doesn’t disappear before I have a good whack at the bottle.

      • graymatters says:

        I love a shot of Amaretto in a mug of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s evening.

      • Bettyrose says:

        LOLO, in what world doesn’t Amaretto give you a buzz?

      • Royalsparkle says:

        Also great in cooking – Madero. Port – lightweight but lovely.

    • Royalsparkle says:

      +100000
      Amen!!

  2. anna222 says:

    No wonder Kate and Will hate work, they’ve been trying to do it sober.

    • Kaz says:

      Haha!

    • Nic919 says:

      There have been rumours that Kate is a bit of a drinker too.

      • Melly says:

        I don’t know. There is a lot of wasted calories in alcoholic drinks.

      • GiBee says:

        She’s quite famously a controlled drinker – Mother always warned her that any drunken antics would get in the way of bagging a Prince.

        So anyone trying to say she’s a drinker is spreading a backwards rumour. She didn’t even get to have boozy fun at Uni! She’d probably be much more interesting if she did drink.

      • perplexed says:

        There are pictures from her early 20s where she is coming in and out of cars from a club looking kind of drunk. Though, to be fair, I think there are pictures of William looking drunk in a club too.

        I don’t really believe she’s a drinker now since that would make her gain weight, but I could have sworn I saw pictures of her and Pippa when they were younger where it didn’t look like they were completely abstaining.

      • notasugarhere says:

        During the decade of dating, she was known for her love of multiple Crack Daddies during clubbing nights 4 nights a week. Photos of her with her own bottle of white wine at dinner right before she found out she was expecting again.

      • Enough Already says:

        Kate’s never been a huge drinker. She did more clubby social drinking after university than during and is reportedly a lightweight. She’s tipsy after a few girly drinks. No idea how much she drinks now.

      • Jessica says:

        Sure she drinks but she’s not a binge drinker. Nothing wrong with that.

      • notasugarhere says:

        The stories from the set were that she drank William under the table. And the few times that Harry showed up, she mocked him for drinking less than she did. No wonder he walked away, didn’t spend time with her, and admitted he didn’t know her at all at the time of the engagement.

      • Royalsparkle says:

        A bit… nay – let goole be your friend – of both Wisteria sisters drunk and still continuing from 12″ plus straw like boozer

  3. astrid says:

    I’ve got no problem with any of this except the champagne part. That doesn’t ring true, but what do I know

  4. nemera34 says:

    She looks amazing. I may need to take up drinking.

  5. Barbcat says:

    They just had a study come out that showed people who drink moderately when they are over 65 are more likely to reach 85 without dementia! They are taking about 2-3 glass/day for women. They did this study on white upper -middle class people in CA.

    Bottoms up!!! 😊

    • Megan says:

      I love this study. Science is awesome!

    • sendepause says:

      Well, I better start young … For prevention purposes and stuff.
      *opens a wine bottle*

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      Yeah, I’m thinking of taking this up. (What to do about rosacea though…and alcohol affects sleep patterns?)

      • Megan says:

        I had terrible rosacea for my entire life, and about two years ago I went gluten free and I have not had rosacea since.

      • Erinn says:

        Don’t drink right before bed. Try a glass with supper or something of that nature. Or if you’re drinking at bedtime don’t drink much. It’ll help you sink into sleep quicker, but that deep sleep doesn’t last long.

      • Felicia says:

        Rosacea… Valmont Dermatosic, I can’t recommend it enough. I had a period of about 5 years or so of having rosacea for some reason. That stuff completely got rid of it. Expensive for a tube, but you use one “pump” a day and a tube lasts about 3 months. If you’re somewhere that has Valmont samples, ask for one of this. 5 minutes after using it (in my case anyways), the red was gone.

    • CynicalAnn says:

      I think white, upper middle class people in CA had less stress, great weather and better access to healthcare. I don’t think the alcohol is the “cause” for a longer life expectancy.

    • pinetree13 says:

      HELLO I AM HERE TO BE A WET BLANKET

      Those studies are flawed. They say that moderate drinkers fair better than abstainers. HOWEVER, I read a very good article breaking that down and that these studies do a very poor job at breaking down those abstainers. It was found that typically over 80% of those classed as abstainers in pretty much every “alcohol shows some benefits” studies are either abstaining because of current medical issues, prior alcoholism or are on prescriptions which should not be mixed with alcohol.

      So basically a lot of these studies are saying “Hey look this group of low-moderate drinkers had better outcomes than PEOPLE WHO USED TO BE ALCOHOLICS OR HAVE SEVERE MEDICAL ISSUES” and then running to the press to tout how great drinking is for you.

      The authors of the paper went back to every study they could find where they could separate out the TRUE abstainers from those with medical issues/ prior addictions that preclude drinking. IN EVERY CASE the statistically significant ‘benefits’ of drinking suddenly dissipated and the ABSTAINERS had better outcomes. IN EVERY ONE THEY LOOKED AT!!!! EVEN THOSE RED WINE HEART STUDIES!!!!!!!!

      I love drinking. But the true facts are….alcohol is a neurotoxin. We WANT alcohol to be good for us but it isn’t. In fact, it directly ups your risk of 7 different cancers and I”m not even touching all the other problems with booze such as domestic violence, drunk drivers, etc.

      YOUR WELCOME FOR BEING A PARTY POOPER

    • Liberty says:

      My grandmother sips a dot ( literal teaspoon splash) of good quality brandy with afternoon tea and again with dinner. Has done so for yeeeeaaaaaarssss. Healthy and sharp as a tack at 96 and her doctors say she will probably reach 100.

  6. Dante says:

    Old piss pot.

  7. Jenns says:

    #HERO

  8. Patricia says:

    Ew, I would hate to drink like that every day.

    Let’s get real, this headline should be “queen Elizabeth is an alcoholic”.

    • mkyarwood says:

      This. They all are. Charles’ face really shows it. Howcome this slamming back cocktails thing before lunch is admirable?

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        He might also have rosacea. I’m practically abstinent and my face had redness and some broken veins. It’s hereditary. Of course, he might also drink AND have rosacea.

      • Lynnie says:

        As a non drinker I never got the whole buzzed before noon thing either. One of the mysteries of the world I guess.

      • Merritt says:

        Charles’ face is red but not bloated. So I’m thinking booze is not the issue.

    • Lexter says:

      Major eyeroll to you.
      4 nips/standard drinks isn’t much. And she is in her effing 90s. She can drink as much as she damn well pleases.

    • Kelly says:

      oh look the American Puritans are out…Europeans don’t care if you are clutching your pearls over a few drinks get over yourselves

      • Chinoiserie says:

        Speak for yourself. Not all Europeans are alcoholic.

      • Lurker says:

        I’m European and I completely agree with those comments. That’s a crazy amount of alcohol.

      • Kelly says:

        then neither of you have spent time in the UK – our measures are tiny compared to other countries.

        And you showed you clearly do not understand the AMERICAN understanding of alcohol use, that almost everyone who likes a drink is ergo an alcoholic is completely over the top and yes puritanical. She has a few ‘nips’ a day the rest of the worlds value judgements are different to the US we don’t have to kow tow to their idea of alcoholism.

      • KiddVicious says:

        Not sure where you get your information Kelly. The majority of Americans do not believe a few drinks makes one an alcoholic. If that were the case the wine industry wouldn’t be as popular as it is with wineries now in every state, nor would the craft beer business be booming. Not sure what type of Americans you hang out with but your paint brush is a bit wide.

      • Bettyrose says:

        Kelly, ITA! Americans are quick to call anyone an addict for enjoying life. We’re a nation based on puritanical values: work, breed, imbibe in moderation. I would never condone endangering others with your drunkiness, but if it harms none, live as you will.

      • Lara says:

        HUH, Americans were total despots with their booze. Look at the old movies for example – a drink in one hand and a cig in the other. We have or had more stills than you can imagine. Prohibition inspired even more stills. Many cities have their own breweries. The country is loaded with wineries or vineyards. The booze just oozes in the US.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Kelly,
        You are right. My in laws are European and have a glass of wine with lunch, a martini pre dinner, wine with dinner and sometimes a brandy post dinner or later. They have no hangups about alcohol and are hardly alcoholics.
        Americans are known to be uptight about drinking and fixated on everything being a psychological problem or an addiction.
        Summer Sunday brunch at my parents house means mimosas and possibly late afternoon wine and definitely wine with dinner,
        No alcoholics.
        It isn’t exactly the number of drinks it is how and why a person drinks and if it is excessive.
        HM drinks are spread out. She isn’t slamming several G and Ts every night. Good for her.

    • bluhare says:

      There’s a big difference between someone who drinks and someone who is an alcoholic. Ask me how I know.

    • Mathilde says:

      I drink 1-2 glasses of wine each day and at my previous place of employment there was always wine with lunch. But I cannot imagine having wine AND two aperitifs a day AND champagne. I’d be able to handle one aperitif per day and that’s it. But I do know people who drink a bottle of wine each day and the Queen looks ok, eyes bright, happy and sharp. So if it works for her I’m fine with it 🙂

    • Bettyrose says:

      There are legitimate cases of alcoholism, but in general day drinking is bad because for normal people it would impede their ability to drive, think clearly, earn a living for their families. For someone who does not need to drive, operate machinery, or problem solve, the mere fact of day drinking doesn’t establish a problem.

  9. Basi says:

    Serious question. No shade, no judgment. I love the Queen.
    If she does that daily…4+ drinks a day…is that alcoholic territory?
    Again looking for Celebitchy-ers to give real honest answer. Comparing for myself.

    • minx says:

      IMO that’s…a lot. Day in and day out? I’m amazed that at her age the alcohol doesn’t make her sleepy or bother her stomach. But, obviously, she keeps going.

    • LadyMTL says:

      I can’t speak for everyone, but I work in insurance and as per our medical guidelines, 4-7 drinks per day is considered frequent use but not abusive. Of course, that depends on the quantity of alcohol consumed per drink…if you have one bottle of scotch per day then yep, that’s abuse. Three or four glasses of wine or cocktails, however, you’re fine by me. 😛

    • lobbit says:

      Most docs in the US say that women shouldn’t have more than 3 drinks per day, 3 times a week, but I think a lot depends on the person. Like, does she REALLY have these drinks every single day? Would it be difficult for her to get through a day without them? The answers to those questions would be pretty telling, I think.

      But since we’re talking about a 91 year old, ostensibly healthy woman, I’m not inclined to think too deeply about it LOL.

    • Annetommy says:

      The recommended max in the UK is 14 units a week for women – units not drinks, most drinks having more than a unit in them. I’m sure that ER’s consumption significantly exceeds that amount but frankly at her age why would you bother worrying? In the very unlikely event that I reach that age I intend to start smoking again, having given up in my early thirties.,,

      • chaine says:

        I’m with you @Annetommy, if I reach 91 I am going to get myself a medical marijuana prescription and use it liberally! 😉

      • GingerCrunch says:

        God help me, if I live that long, all my rigid health rules are going out the window too!

      • Sarah says:

        I quit smoking AND drinking and may pick up both habits again on my 90th birthday. :)!

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      A friend from high-school – unfortunately a heavy drinker from a young age, told me once that alcoholics are because they drink too much, but the frequency/schedule of drinking. He gave me a random, general example of a man who has a shot of vodka every morning at 8am, and cannot function throughout the day unless he has that shot of vodka. He said, the man would be shaking before having a drink, and stop shaking after he had the drink, and go to work. But he would only have this one drink, like 50ml.
      I met this guy once, we worked in the same environment (you could not buy liquor there, you had to buy it from the outside and bring it in), he brought enough vodka to last him a certain amount per day, until he finished his contract. He was pretty privileged in terms of money and his position enabled him to bring alcohol in a highly controlled environment. But, he could not function unless he was drinking his poison of choice. Sad. Btw, my friend died very young. I found out by chance when I met a mutual friend. My friend, a very, very intelligent guy (child of divorced parents, alcoholic father) started to smoke when he was 10, drinking at 12, he alluded he started doing drugs at 15. I tried to help him, but he wouldn’t listen. He even told me I was naive. He spent all his money of fags and drinks. When we skipped school together (I did it a couple of times out of rebellion), I had coffee or soda and he was drinking vodka at 11am.
      Confession over. TQ’s drinking habits do indicate alcohol addiction. Drinks on the clock, every day. She must have good genes, or she would have said hello to St. Peter a long time ago.

    • detritus says:

      By Canadian health standards its excessive. The max recommended for women is 2-3 per day, but that put you at about equal for positive and negative effects. more than 4 drinks per day for women are seen as binge drinking.

      I’ve seen a lot of noise about the UK being much more accepting of drinking though, and the issues associated with that, so it sounds like its a bit different culturally there?

      • GiBee says:

        Binge drinking is sort of accepted and associated with the lower classes – it’s a problem, but generally no one expects much more from them. If they’re not drunk on prosecco shouting outside a nightclub and starting fights, then they’ll be sober outside a nightclub starting fights.

        As to the more upper class – being able to handle your drink is good, being drunk at an event is enough to get you dis-invited to the next ones. If you can’t handle your drink you’re better off not drinking, as it tends to pass without comment.

      • Tina says:

        Ouch. (But not untrue).

      • lobbit says:

        @GiBee – You just can’t be as pretentious and awful and bigoted as this comment suggests…

      • GiBee says:

        @lobbit – it is low class behaviour to get blind drunk, vomit in public, and start fights. Wouldn’t you agree? Do you think acting like that is sophisticated?

        If you’re attempting to tie those words to certain socio-economic statuses, or imply that I am, then I think the issue is with you.

      • bluhare says:

        GiBee, alcoholic drinking is by no means a lower class phenomenon. It cuts through all social strata.

        Unless of course, you’re saying only common people get drunk and vomit outside of pubs. In which case I might disagree on that too. Wasn’t their a London nightclub catering to that crowd that had to close down not to long ago for pretty much that type of behavior?

    • lunchcoma says:

      In the context of an AA group or recommendations to seek treatment, it’s more about how you behave around alcohol than the exact amount consumed. I was at 6 a day, every day, and I’m an alcoholic. Other people drink that much and don’t seem to have the same relationship with alcohol.

      As for the Queen, I don’t know that any of us know enough about her private life to guess. She has enough people around her handling day to day activities that it might be hard to tell, which I suspect is part of the problem for so many famous people. On the other hand, this description didn’t make it all that clear if this was a daily ritual, or just a set of preferences. The Queen’s schedule seems like it would vary a good deal and not necessarily accommodate wine every lunch and so on.

      • bluhare says:

        Thank you lunchcoma. Alcoholics can also drink 3 and 4 times a year. But then they’re the people who end up in Ibiza with no idea how they got there. 🙂

    • Sarah says:

      I think that she spreads it out and is used to it. If she had a substance use issue with alcohol, generally, she woud start ad not stop u til the day was done.
      Sounds like she just has a high tolerance, since she is never seen stumbling or heard slurring.

  10. PunkyMomma says:

    I’d be in a state of perpetual buzz, too, if I had to work with my family on a daily basis.

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      HA! Good one.

      Also, good thing someone drives the Queen around.

    • GiBee says:

      “Work”, though.

    • Mathilde says:

      She definitely does work, quite a bit wouldn’t you say as well since she’s way past normal retirement age and is still doing it. I think you’d be suprised if you’d see her actual day to day schedule. I certainly wouldn’t want to do it!

  11. JC says:

    Love it. My hubby and I had lunch one day at a little, out-of-the-way inn and noticed a group of 4 old gals just arriving, dressed like the Queen, sans the jewels, with immaculate, perfectly coiffed hair, and tottering on canes. They sat near us and ordered up their drinks. Martinis, gin, scotch! What a generation!

  12. swak says:

    My parents are of that era. My dad came home from work, had dinner and then had a whiskey before bed. I think in today’s media driven world, there is much more scrutiny over what people are drinking or not drinking. I doubt she gets any major buzz on if she is used to drinking four drinks a day, every day (my opinion).

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      My husband’s aunt and uncle had their gin and tonic daily before dinner, and you know what? I think I want the equivalent now that our schedule is lightening up ever so slightly. Good time to chat – a little loosened. ; )

      • Imqrious2 says:

        My dad still has one small Black Russian, or a Canadian Club with diet 7 Up before dinner almost every day; when my mom was alive, that was “their time” to relax, without kids, and talk. When the whole family gets together for Shabbat, or a holiday, we all have a drink/glass of wine (sis and me) before dinner. It’s a nice time together.

  13. Merritt says:

    She doesn’t have to drive, so that gives me peace of mind.

  14. Kaz says:

    Maybe her cocktail habit is the only thing that’s kept her sane all these years…..?

  15. ncboudicca says:

    Please. 4 drinks over the course of an entire day probably doesn’t give her much of a buzz. My opinion (as the grandchild of 3 alcoholics and the wife of one (now sober for over 100 days!)) is that she’s a strict observer of ingrained habits rather than a problem drinker.

    From the CDC:
    Do all excessive drinkers have an alcohol use disorder?

    No. About 90% of people who drink excessively would not be expected to meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for having a severe alcohol use disorder.
    A severe alcohol use disorder, previously known as alcohol dependence or alcoholism, is a chronic disease. Some of the signs and symptoms of a severe alcohol use disorder could include:

    Inability to limit drinking.
    Continuing to drink despite personal or professional problems.
    Needing to drink more to get the same effect.
    Wanting a drink so badly you can’t think of anything else.

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      Something like needing to check Celebitchy every day, right?

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      Congrats on your husband’s sobriety !

    • GiBee says:

      To get serious for a moment – good for your husband, and major major kudos and love to you. Fighting addiction is very hard – loving someone and being there for them through the fight can often be just as difficult. All the best to you.

  16. Helonearth says:

    This is not on a daily basis.

    The Queen is out and about regularly and would not have time for a cocktail before lunch when meeting and greeting, nor do all official lunches include alcohol.

    I also don’t believe the champagne every evening part.

    • Deedee says:

      This is how I see it as well. Not only does she have a busy work schedule, but there’s also the difference between being served a glass of wine and finishing it off. During a luncheon, she might have a full glass in front of her, but is it all consumed? Or does she get a few sips during a toast and then it’s cleared away. Same thing with the rich food served at state banquets.

  17. lala says:

    I wish I could have 4 drinks a day and suffer no consequences! I have to limit myself to one or two drinks a week or I gain weight and get bloated 🙁

  18. lightpurple says:

    I want to drink with the Queen!

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      I would love to drink with TQ myself provided we play a drinking game ! She knows so many interesting, outrageous, things. I would not ask her about her personal life. I would ask about encounters with political elites from all over the world. She’s get bored with my life though. And I know when to hush. Her secrets would be safe with me.

  19. Char says:

    I don’t know, I kind of suspect that all the drinks are made to specific serving limits, so 1 shot of gin in her before lunch cocktail & 6 oz of wine at lunch, etc. Its not like most people I know who, when making drinks at home drink “1 glass” of wine in a 16oz glass and fill it pretty much to the top. I could be wrong, I just assume the Queen’s drinks are made at the exact serving sizes, and she’s not walking around all day sloshed.

    • heylee says:

      @Char, this is what I am thinking too. My grandmother and grandfather are 91 and 93 respectively. They will enjoy a beer or glass of white wine with lunch but will not finish the entire drink and consume it at a snails pace.

      That on top of the servings size being 12oz of beer and 5oz of wine. No one is getting sloshed.

  20. JA says:

    Wow…i usually only drink[not heavily] Friday/Saturday/Sunday and been wanting to cut back to only 2 days a week MAX because worried About the health risks. But if you can live up to your 90s on 4 drinks a day everyday??! Hell pour me one! Jk that sounds awful actually. It suppose to be a nice treat and relaxation for me so everyday feels like abusive territory.

  21. Miss Jupitero says:

    Chapeau, your highness.

    If I drank like that, I would be the size of a truck.

  22. grabbyhands says:

    Alcoholism runs in my family, so I am hypersensitive to alcohol use and this doesn’t sound excessive to me at all.

    Besides, she’s 91 and has been the HBIC for a long, long time. Let her have her four drinks a day and be done with it.

  23. punkprincessphd says:

    Elizabeth the Queen Mother was also infamous for her G & T habit at this stage of her life. At the time many implied it was the key to her longevity 😉

    • LAK says:

      QM was permanently buzzed which was hilarious when people made comments about her smiley face in old age.

      One of her equerries wrote a book about her alcohol consumption and honestly the old bird was pickled!!!

      ETA: here is an extract from his memoirs. Note the daily alcohol consumption.
      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4434378/The-Queen-Mother-thirstier-irrepressible.html

      Extract from his memoirs for a quiet day : “Following my appointment, I discovered the Queen Mother’s pattern of drinking rarely varied. At noon, she had her first drink of the day — a potent mix of two parts of the fortified wine Dubonnet to one part of gin. This was followed by red wine with lunch and, very occasionally, a glass of port to end it. Later came the ritual observed at 6pm, deemed the earliest acceptable time for an evening drink.
      ‘Colin, are we at the magic hour?’ the Queen Mother would invariably ask, and I’d mix her a Martini. After a couple of these, she would sit down to dinner and drink one or two glasses of pink Champagne”

      The rest of this extract tells of additional alcohol consumption if she had visitors.

      • HK9 says:

        ‘Magic Hour’….I like it!! 🙂

      • minxx says:

        Yeah, I read about the Queen Mother’s legendary boozing. Notice that QE drinks exactly the same alcohol and exactly the same time as her mom. She’s a creature of habit, I guess.

      • Evie says:

        @LAK: ROFLMAO at your post. Yes, I had heard of the Queen Mother’s penchant for G&Ts — and from everything I’ve read over the years, I agree, it sounds like she was permanently pickled.
        In the movie, “The Queen” with Helen Mirren, the scenes with the QM frequently show her with a BIG drink in her hand.
        In the QM’s case, the alcohol clearly agreed with her and might have contributed to her longevity — who knows? She lived to be 101 1/2 dying peacefully in her sleep after suffering from a cold for a few weeks prior. And she reportedly had all of her wits about her. Obviously, she was blessed with a strong constitution, but perhaps the daily drinking ritual helped her longevity.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Wouldn’t it be terrible if you’d spent all your life doing everything you were supposed to do, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t eat things, took lots of exercise, all the things you didn’t want to do, and suddenly one day you were run over by a big red bus, and as the wheels were crunching into you you’d say ‘Oh my god, I could have got so drunk last night!’ That’s the way you should live your life, as if tomorrow you’ll be run over by a big red bus. – Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mum

      Quotes like that make me think the rumors about her originally wanting Uncle David (and not Bertie) could be true. Party girl at heart, wanting to catch the eye of a party-loving future king?

  24. chaine says:

    Well, that explains why her eyes often look a bit glazed over at these ribbon-cutting/award-giving events.

  25. GingerCrunch says:

    Sign me up for the Boozy Brooch Party! Too cute, Kaiser!!

  26. Gr8k8 says:

    *sigh* I wish I wasn’t pregnant right now… all this alcohol talk is making me salivate.

  27. ash says:

    I recently had to quit booze for a few weeks and I noticed that I drink a lot more than I thought. A beer after work, drinks with friends. It all adds up. I’m not sure that I’m at Lizzie levels, though.

  28. 4 drinks a day and can live healthy to 91. The queen is my spirit animal

  29. ellieohara says:

    If I live to 91, I’m getting fucked up all day long and no one can tell me otherwise!

    • Shambles says:

      Yep. If I live to be 91, I’ll be on LSD once a month.

      • Amanduh says:

        Haha…that’s what I’m trying to tell my parents! I’m going to be high as a gd kite all day/erryday when I’m retired (minus important functions *if* I need to be lucid).

  30. Catherine says:

    I am the Queen of England 👑🍹🍷🍸🥂

  31. Zeddy says:

    Thanks armchair doctors!Glad we can determine her issues together! *eyeroll*. She’s 91 and been doing this for years. Who gives a flying f***

  32. PMNichols says:

    She’s a badass plain and simple. The woman runs circles around any man. She holds it down for years and years. Cheers to her!!

  33. NotSoSocialButterfly says:

    I have my nightly cocktails or wine, but I’d be asleep at about 1:00pm if I had one before lunch.

  34. minx says:

    Just love her yellow outfit, so cheery and the hat is gorgeous.

  35. perplexed says:

    If this were anyone else, I would probably think drinking before or at lunch is a little weird. But given how much she has to listen to the world talk about her behind her back while she has to keep a controlled, dignified silence, I can see why she’d need to drink.

  36. Bitsy says:

    Sounds tame depending on the amount. My Bitsy day is petty boozy too:
    Morning coffee with a bit of Baileys
    Lunch with sparkling water and a bit of gin
    Afternoon tea with a bit of whiskey
    Dinner with a bit of rosé

    Small amounts ensure I’m never truly buzzed, just relaxed

  37. TeamPoochie says:

    I call that generation “Eisenhower Alcoholics”.
    My dad is tad younger than the Queen, but follows the same schedule, but a bit more hardcore:
    Pilsener with lunch, Martinis or Manhattans at cocktail hour before dinner, wine with supper and then a “dessert” drink like a Stinger or Cognac.
    Somehow he still manages to walk and have a liver. Go figure.

  38. Skylark says:

    Only 4? *scoffs* What a lightweight!

    If I were her and having to contend with her dysfunctional family, I’d be having at least 4 alcoholic beverages (large measures at that) every single hour.

  39. What's Inside says:

    I seem to recall a story many years ago that the Queen Mother, the Queen and Princess Margaret were having lunch. The drink order was made for gin at which time Princess Margaret quipped to Queen Elizabeth that she needed to probably stop after 1 because “you do have a country to run.”

    Another article that I read: The book “Behind Palace Doors,” by Major Colin Burgess who worked as a personal attendant to the Queen, details the Queen Mum’s typical daily consumption of alcohol. “She would start her drinking day at noon with her favorite tipple, gin and Dubonnet: two parts Dubonnet – a pink vermouth – to one part gin.” “Rarely went a day without having at least one of these and getting the mix right was crucial,” writes Burgess. Then “Lunch with red wine followed, finished off with port. If you found yourself lunching with the Queen Mum, don’t think you would ever have got away with drinking only tap water.” How can you not have wine with your meal?” she would ask incredulously.” At 6pm every day, according to Burgess, she would ask, “’Colin, are we at the magic hour?’ I would then rather flamboyantly look at my watch, raise an eyebrow and say to her, ‘Yes, ma’am, I think it’s just about time,’ before popping off to mix her a martini.” At dinner, she would down two glasses of Veuve Cliquot pink champagne, leaving her staff to finish the bottle before settling down to watch repeats of Fawlty Towers.

    Other legendary stories of her love of the drink include her instructing her dressers to hide bottles of gin in her hatboxes when she travelled so she could get in a little nip when needed. She was quoted as saying, “I couldn’t get through all my engagements without a little something.” One time at an engagement at which she was supposed to be offered a cup of tea, her host blurted out instead “I hear you like gin.” Without hesitation, the Queen Mum replied, “I hadn’t realized I enjoyed that reputation. But as I do, perhaps you could make it a large one.”

    Cheers.

    • marjiscott says:

      Whats Inside: No the quote was : “Do you think you should? You do have to reign all day” Don’t know if that was what was actually said, but apparently they all fell about laughing. Cute observation. Of course the Q, PM, and the QM were all heavy drinkers… oh, forgot .. Camilla!

      • Imqrious2 says:

        And dont forget the younger ones, falling out of clubs drunk. And William, so fall down drunk at a wedding a few years ago, had to replace that front tooth he broke off. *Definitely* runs in that family lol

  40. notasugarhere says:

    Final engagement for Prince Philip today, last of over 22,000+.

    After the band played God Save the Queen, they snuck in For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow as he was walking away.

  41. Deedee says:

    I’m with the Queen.

  42. D says:

    For some reason this made me picture her doing shots lol, and now I have that damn LMFAO song stuck in head 🙂

  43. crazydaisy says:

    Looks like QE2 could give Cersei a run for the money. Or perhaps Elizabeth is a role model here? As I recall, she refused an offer to sit on the Iron Throne, seat of ‘a foreign power’. If all that happened right after lunch, it’s possible *hic* in the moment she forgot Westeros was make-believe. 😉

  44. vava says:

    Kaiser, you can be serious when you say, “if there’s one thing I learned from Mad Men, it’s that people in that era were mostly drunk the entire time.” Boomers and pre-Boomers weren’t drunk all the time, not at least where I’ve lived.

  45. Lyla says:

    My grandma is 93 and likes to get her drink on as well.

    • Skylark says:

      My grandmother (a farmer) drank Guinness for lunch and dinner every day of her adult life and lived to the very active, ripe old age of 98. She died in her sleep, one month to the day, after my grandfather died.

      I like to picture them in the ‘afterworld’ (which they both believed in) riding their tractor and toasting each other with a pint of Guinness.

    • justme says:

      Yeah my grandma lived to 100 and had a shot of Scotch every night. Never saw her the slightest bit tipsy.

  46. Kristi says:

    Fair play, I’d love to do my job buzzed on champagne cocktails.

  47. KiddVicious says:

    Does the Queen take an afternoon nap? Whenever I’ve had alcohol at lunch I’m barely keeping my eyes open the rest of the day. I must be doing something wrong.

  48. cc says:

    I think small amounts of spirits help to relax the digestive system and gallbladder so fats and other stuff move through better. I don’t think the Queen drinks to get “buzzed”.

  49. PlainJane says:

    She and Ben Affleck should hang out!

  50. Lori says:

    The day I retire I will assume the same drinking habit. Good for her.

  51. Lauren says:

    She has got nothing on Richard Overton. The man is 111 and he drinks his whiskey and enjoys his cigars everyday. He is LIVING.

  52. Andrea says:

    My grandma never drank much at all in her life and lived to 97. Nothing is a given, it depends on many genetic factors, lifestyle, etc.

  53. MiniMii says:

    For all those clutching their pearls over the Queen’s cocktail habit:

    Chill.

    The woman is 91, still has an incredibly active life, is in good health (obviously, to be able to carry out so many Royal duties), and is not suffering from much – if any – cognitive decline. Let the woman enjoy her drinks!

    I’m with you Kaiser, I would love to have a G&T with the Queen while perusing her brooch collection and hear all the stories that must go with them. The Queen always has such a twinkle in her eye, you just know she tells great stories!

  54. Weezer says:

    Gotta admit I’m one of those cheery AAers in recovery…she’s the OG and I don’t judge her one bit for 4 a day. She has dedicated her life to the service of her country and, at 91, let the ol’ gal have it..She’s earned it..I’m also not British so that may be a smidge easier for me to say. The brooch game is so strong with this one..love her!

  55. CharlieBouquet says:

    No fair! You guys get a gin&juice majesty with a majestic wardrobe and a mischievous imp twinkle. We get a teetoler marmalade menace who scotch tapes his d!ck hovering ties and dismantles our future.
    *sipping a fruity boozy drink, so parched from all this winning*

  56. Miasys says:

    If I had to live with all of those a-holes & spoilt children…I’d be day drinking too.

  57. Veronica says:

    I mean, that’s a polite way of saying she’s a functional alcoholic (“drunk” is for the peasant classes), but I suppose at her age and position, nobody’s really getting hurt. I’d probably stop giving AF at that age, too.

  58. shouldawoulda says:

    Wow, she can drink Steve Bannon under the table and look much better doing it. Smarter too.

  59. Achoo! says:

    That explains it. The 91year old dynamo is pickled. That’s probably why the queen mum, a well known drinker, lasted so long (101yrs) good genes, no financial worries and the preservative (pickling) qualities of alcohol.

  60. SF says:

    Respectfully, you’re comparing the Boomer Era with Baby Boomers themselves.

    It’s the Boomers’ parents who populated the Mad Men era. Boomers were born 1946-1964. Sure they drank, but overall alcohol wasn’t as important to them as to their parents, “The Greatest Generation.”

    The adults of the Eisenhower/JFK years were born from the early 20th century through the 1930s.

  61. her highness says:

    that makes me feel so validated, i also drink throughout the day and run an entire monarch ..buzzed

  62. ash says:

    listen yal…as a hard working late 20’s something working corporate america, illustrator on the side, and bludgeoning screenwriter —- im drinking at least 1 glass of wine a night…. maybe 2. and have been for a while.

    Liver test from physical came back in IMMACULATE

    Judge away…. drinking in buzzed moderately regularly is fun and obv for the queen quite healthy

  63. Bread and Circuses says:

    I recall stories about the Queen getting on the Queen Mother’s case about her day-drinking, and the Queen Mum lived to 102, so maybe Queen Elizabeth decided to just not worry about it so much.