Princess Diana was considered “The People’s Princess” for so many reasons. She loved fiercely, cared for those who were less fortunate, and was astoundingly down to earth despite her royal title. In many ways, the Princess of Wales was not so different from her devoted subjects, but there’s one way in particular that might surprise you: what she ate almost every day for breakfast.
In a video recently shared to YouTube, the princess’s former private chef, Darren McGrady, explained that her go-to breakfast was none other than overnight oats. That’s right — nearly 20 years before it became the latest viral breakfast sensation, McGrady was making the simple yet satisfying breakfast for his royal employer.
However, McGrady’s recipe is a little bit different from what you might expect from overnight oats. The recipe is actually that of bircher muesli, a meal she once enjoyed during a trip to a Swiss health clinic. She was sure to grab the recipe before she left and then passed it off to McGrady, who began making it for her every day. The secret ingredient? Orange juice.
People all over social media have been replicating the recipe, which is as simple as it is unique. First, you start by adding 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice to 1 cup of rolled oats, stir, then cover it and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, stir in 1 cup of Greek yogurt, some honey, and some lemon juice. Then, grate some apple — honeycrisps were the princess’s favorite — into the oats and fold it in before topping with blueberries and walnuts. And voilà! A breakfast fit for royalty.
“Gonna try with dry cranberries! I love [the] orange cranberry combo. 🧡,” wrote one creative commenter. “Wow! I would never think to put OJ with oats!” said another. “I bet with vanilla yogurt it would taste like a dreamcicle,” added an innovative third.
The possibilities for making this recipe your own are truly endless, but it’s easy to see why Diana stuck to the tried-and-true original.