Prince Harry Ordered Chicken Pie, Meghan Gluten-Free Fish — Pub Staff Say They “Weren’t Very Happy Being Here”
Harry ordered chicken pie. Meghan ordered gluten-free haddock. The pub staff said they were treated like anyone else. So why did it feel staged?The Gluten-Free Order and the Chicken Pie — What the Pub Staff Really Thought
Prince Harry Ordered Chicken Pie, Meghan Gluten-Free Fish — Pub Staff Say They “Weren’t Very Happy Being Here”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were spotted on a low-key pub outing in the UK — their first joint public appearance in some time. According to multiple reports, Meghan ordered gluten-free beer-battered haddock and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce, while Harry went for a classic chicken, ham and leek pie served with seasonal greens, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. The meals came to around £36, with Harry’s pie priced at £17.95. Staff later revealed the couple “weren’t very happy being here,” adding an unexpected layer to what was otherwise framed as a casual lunch.
Harry ordered chicken, ham and leek pie with seasonal vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. Meghan ordered gluten-free beer-battered haddock and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce. The details were reported everywhere. But the more revealing detail came from a staff member who said the couple "weren't very happy being here."
The menu details from The Falkland Arms visit made headlines because they were so specific. But the staff account is what royal commentators have focused on. It describes a couple going through the motions of a casual pub lunch — and not enjoying it.
For more on this story, read our coverage of Harry and Meghan at the Cotswolds pub.
What They Ordered
The menu details were widely reported:
- Harry: Chicken, ham and leek pie with seasonal vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy
- Meghan: Gluten-free beer-battered haddock and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce
The orders themselves are unremarkable. They are what you would expect at a 16th century pub in the Cotswolds. But the specific reporting of them — the gravy, the mushy peas, the tartare sauce — suggests these details were deliberately shared.
For more on the witness account, read our coverage of "they only held hands when the photographers came".
What the Staff Said
The staff member's account was brief but telling. They said the couple "were treated no differently to any other customer." That is the polite version. The unpolished version came next: "I got the impression they weren't very happy being here."
That detail has been picked up by royal commentators who say it contradicts the image the couple is trying to project. If they were not happy being there, why were they there? And who arranged the visit?
For more on the royal family's PR strategy, read our coverage of how the royals use public appearances.
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Menu details rarely make news. So why did these? According to royal commentators, the menu details were part of a deliberate media strategy. By sharing specific, mundane details — the pie, the haddock, the mushy peas — the visit is presented as authentic and relatable.
But the staff account undercuts that. It suggests the couple was not there to enjoy a meal. They were there to be seen having one.
For more on this story, read our coverage of Harry and Meghan's public appearances in 2026.