Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010
A Feast Fit for a Queen
It seems the quickest way to a queen's heart is through her stomach. In 1560, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, threw a large banquet in honor of Elizabeth I. Dudley, rumored to be Elizabeth's lover, had a feast prepared with 26 turkeys and pineapple — both exotic delights only recently introduced to England — 10 sheep, six herons, 48 ducks, 60 eggs, 41 dozen loaves of bread and 89 lbs. of butter, among other things, according to historical documents. And, for Elizabeth's sweet tooth — an addiction that would later turn her teeth black — there were cakes and other sweets that comprised 86 lbs. of sugar. Another feast, again thrown by Dudley in honor of the Queen, in 1575 reportedly lasted for 17 days.