King Charles reveals how he likes his curry during meeting with MP of ‘Little India’ Southall at Buckingham Palace reception_Nhy
The King revealed he does not like his curry ‘too strong’ as he welcomed newly elected MPs and members of the House of Lords to a reception at Buckingham Palace.
The King and Queen, along with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, met the new MPs in the Ballroom on Wednesday, January 29.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, former prime minister Theresa May and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage all attended the event.
Reflecting on her meeting with Charles, 76, Deirdre Costigan, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall, said she spoke to the monarch about his ‘love of curries’, adding that he said he did not like his curry ‘too strong’.
She said: ‘He’s very knowledgeable, isn’t he?
‘So I said, “I’m from Ealing Southall”, and straight away he was like, “Oh yes!” – he knew it was Little India, and he talked about his love of curries.
‘And he also said, “You’ve got a very big Sikh community there, don’t you?”
‘So I asked him to come to Ealing Southall and check out the curry, I hope he will.
The King revealed he does not like his curry ‘too strong’ as he welcomed newly elected MPs and members of the House of Lords to a reception at Buckingham Palace
Reflecting on her meeting with Charles, 76, Deirdre Costigan, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall, said she spoke to the monarch about his ‘love of curries’, adding that he said he did not like his curry ‘too strong’
‘But he also recognised straight away I had an Irish accent,’ she continued. ‘He said, “You’re Irish.” And he said, “It would be great to get a state visit as well.”‘
Asked if the King mentioned what sort of curry he liked, Ms Costigan replied that Charles said ‘not too strong’ but did not elaborate further.
During the reception, the King also met Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling and his beloved guide dog Jennie and gave the golden retriever’s head a scratch.
Charles said to Mr Darling: ‘She knows her way around the house, does she?’
Mr Darling said she knew the best place to go for the food, before the King asked Mr Darling how the food was in the Houses of Parliament.
The Duchess of Edinburgh, who is patron of Guide Dogs, also met Mr Darling and greeted Jennie by saying ‘Oh my goodness, I’m your patron’, before making a fuss of her.
Sophie knelt down on the floor to stroke Jennie and the right honourable hound gave her a paw.
Before meeting the King and Duchess of Edinburgh, Mr Darling told reporters Jennie ‘thinks the Palace of Westminster is her palace, and she’s the Queen of it, and everybody comes there just to love her’.
During the reception, the King also met Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling (left) and his beloved guide dog Jennie and gave the golden retriever’s head a scratch
The Liberal Democrat MP of Torbay, Mr Darling continued: ‘So when we get off the train at Paddington, her tail is on such a high wag as we make our way towards the Central line, she knows where she’s going, and she’s really excited.’
Mr Darling said Jennie is a ‘good bridge builder for people from other parties’, which he said was ‘really important’ as he could have conversations he otherwise would not have had.
Paul Waugh, Labour MP for Rochdale, said the King was ‘impeccably poilte’ during their meeting.
‘He was impeccably polite, as you’d imagine,’ Mr Waugh told reporters. ‘Knows a lot about every constituency, got the sort of incredible encyclopedic knowledge of every area of the UK, as you might imagine.’
Mr Waugh added that he told the King that Rochdale was the ‘home of the Co-op’ and jokingly asked if he shopped at the Co-op, to which Charles ‘burst out laughing’.
He said the new MPs were honoured to be there, but the King ‘was making (it) absolutely clear we are the VIPs as well’.
The reception was held on the same day that Buckingham Palace introduced the newest member of the Royal Family.
In a statement, the palace confirmed Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had welcomed their second child together, daughter Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, last week.
King Charles with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during the reception on Wednesday
King Charles III and Queen Camilla (centre) with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch (left) and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (right) during a reception for members of Parliament newly elected in the 2024 election, and members of the House of Lords, at Buckingham Palace in London.
‘Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, born on Wednesday, 22nd January, at 12:57pm.
‘The baby was born weighing 4 pounds and 5 ounces,’ the statement read.
‘The King and Queen, and other members of The Royal Family have all been informed and are delighted with the news.
‘Princess Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi would like to thank all the staff at the hospital for their wonderful care.
‘Her Royal Highness and her daughter are healthy and doing well, and the family are enjoying spending time together with Athena’s older siblings, Wolfie and Sienna.’
Athena Elizabeth, whose middle name is no doubt a sweet tribute to Beatrice’s late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, adds to the Mapelli Mozzi brood which also includes three-year-old Sienna and Edo’s son from a previous relationship to Dara Huang,
‘Wolfie’ – often referred to as Princess Beatrice’s ‘bonus’ child.
Athena is now 11th in line to the throne.
