Ah, royals—they’re just like us!

It’s not all caviar and delicacies for the British monarchy. As the people’s princess, it’s not so surprising that Princess Diana’s go-to breakfast was made for the everyday Joe. 

According to former royal chef Darren McGrady—who cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry for 15 years—the princess was particularly fond of a once uncommon recipe. 

Diana originally stumbled upon the dish at a Swiss health clinic in the early ‘90s, bringing the recipe back to McGrady in England. “I want these for breakfast everyday,” she told the chef.

McGrady, the author of two cookbooks and founder of Texas catering company Eating Royally, shared the recipe on his YouTube this past summer.

While overnight oats are everywhere nowadays, they weren’t exactly popular three decades ago. The princess was interested in how easy it was to change up the rolled oats with nutrient-packed ingredients, from grated apples and high-protein Greek yogurt to walnuts. 

The most surprising ingredient of all? Orange juice. Overnight oats are soaked in a liquid, typically water or milk, to bloom and hydrate. Diana’s go-to recipe saw the grain steeped in fresh orange juice for extra brightness and flavour.

Want to copy her recipe? After refrigerating your juice-steeped oats overnight, mix in Greek yogurt, grated apples, raw honey, and walnuts. Top with blueberries for antioxidants. 
 

Overnight oats recipes

Pumpkin Seed Overnight Oats

Photo courtesy Maya Visnyei

Get the recipe for our Pumpkin Seed Overnight Oats.

Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats

Photo courtesy Quaker

Get the recipe for our Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats.

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