A former chef who worked at the Palace for the Royal Family for 33 years has lifted the lid on what was on the menu for Prince Harry and Prince William growing up – and their eating habits.

Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, former royal chef, Mervyn Wycherley, gave an insight into the boys’ upbringing.

He said: “The children are in the nursery until they are about 10 with a nanny.

“And often the principals would go and dine in the nursery along with them, rather than have the children in the dining room.”

Mervyn treated then listeners to what the young princes could expect on the dining menu.

He said: “They really had the basic [meals]. It was all the old cottage pies and treacle tarts and all that sort of thing.”

The former royal chef described the food as “nutritious” and “substantial”. He also added that “sometimes they got drafted by the nanny to go downstairs and help the chef” but quipped it did not happen often.

When they got older, protection officer Ken Wharfe recalled how the two princes would sometimes leave the palace to go to restaurants with their friends – which reportedly left Charles unimpressed.

Instead of guessing what the royals wanted to eat each week, Mervyn explained that the likes of the late Queen, Charles and Diana would get a menu book to choose from.

He added: “There is a menu book that goes up every week or every few days to be cleared, and it gives an option of first courses, main courses and desserts.”

As reported in the Sun, he added: “And of course when things come into season and things come off the estates, with venison, and the grass and salmon, and the pheasants come in from Sandringham.”