An ex-royal staffer is spilling all about Christmas with Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty's former chef Darren McGrady revealed the cheap holiday gift she and Prince Philip gave their employees at Sandringham every year for their hard work.

MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news MEGA Elizabeth and Philip's supermarket gift "You'd be presented with a Christmas pudding, which was a Tesco's Christmas pudding," McGrady told Smooth Spins Casino. "All the staff got one, along with a card from the Queen and Prince Philip. That went on for quite a few years." James Whatling / MEGA Showing appreciation Despite the ordinary gifts given on the holiday, the late leader of England and her husband ensured that the people who worked for them year-round felt appreciated. "All the staff got a gift from the Queen. It started off that we would choose something from a catalog that the housekeeping had. They were all purchased at 50 percent off, so you were getting something for half price, whatever you chose," McGrady said. "The Queen and Prince Philip, before they went off to Sandringham, would meet at Buckingham Palace with all of the staff and present their individual gift to them. They would also do the same at Windsor Castle a few days before, then the same when they arrived at Sandringham," he continued. "Every member of staff would get a gift and you could choose different things. You could collect china by having a different piece every year, the same with cutlery. It was only up to a certain amount." MEGA What is Christmas like at Sandringham? Having prepared numerous Christmas meals for the royal family, McGrady revealed that there are no dietary modifications or alternative foods while dining with Elizabeth. "Absolutely not! That goes for every meal that you ate with the Queen. You're dining with Her Majesty the monarch, so whatever she chooses, that's what you eat," the cook said when asked about special requests. "If you don't like that, you get a McDonald's on the way home! You wouldn't ask for a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free menu or anything like that. When the Queen was there, it was all very traditional," he added. James Whatling / MEGA Inside the annual gathering According to McGrady, the annual gathering would unfold in a specific way. "Christmas Day was very traditional for the royals. The men would come downstairs and have breakfast, then the ladies would actually have breakfast trays in their room. For the men, it was a full English breakfast so sausage, egg, bacon and mushrooms," he said. "When Prince Philip was there, things like kidney would be on the menu too. He loved all the offal and everything. They were some of his favorites on the menu. For the ladies, it would be a much lighter breakfast, so lots of fruit," McGrady explained. "They would then go off to church and come back for Christmas lunch, which we'd start off with some canapés. They didn't have a salad course, which they usually do. With this, it was straight into the roast turkey because it's quite heavy. It was the traditional roast turkey, sometimes with cheshunt stuffing," he continued. "Then the traditional side dishes too, the brussel sprouts, roast parsnips, roast potatoes and mashed potatoes, then the turkey gravy. They would also have cranberry sauce served with the dinner." The post The queen's cheap gift for royal staffers revealed appeared first on Wonderwall.com.