Random Drink Of Choice Was For Historical Royals (12 items)

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  (#7) Queen Victoria

  • Dec. at 82 (1819-1901)

  Over the course of her many summers at Balmoral Castle in the Highlands of Scotland, Queen Victoria became a huge fan of Scotch whisky.

  But Victoria wouldn't always drink it neat. She liked making new alcoholic concoctions by mixing it with other drinks. Victoria drank whisky mixed with claret, tea, and soda water.
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  (#11) Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

  • Dec. at 102 (1900-2002)

  Queen Elizabeth II's mother - Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who was queen while her husband reigned as King George VI from 1936 to 1952 - could hold her liquor. Drinking was so much a part of the Queen Mother's daily rituals that she actually traveled with her own alcohol when conducting her royal duties.

  The Queen Mother's drink of choice was a wine-based cocktail: Dubonnet and gin cocktails indulged before lunchtime.

  The Queen Mother reportedly passed her love of Dubonnet-gin cocktails on to her daughter.
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  (#9) Catherine II of Russia

  • Dec. at 67 (1729-1796)

  Catherine the Great of Russia may have ruled over an empire associated with vodka, but that doesn't mean the clear liquor was her favorite drink. German-born Catherine was actually a beer aficionado. She preferred English stouts, and boasted that she could hold her own against English stout-drinkers.

  Catherine's love of the dark beer actually contributed to the development of imperial stout. She contracted Anchor Brewery in London to create a dark, strong stout for the Russian imperial court - and so it brewed "imperial" stout.
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  (#10) Napoleon Bonaparte

  • Dec. at 52 (1769-1821)

  Napoleon's favorite wine was a Burgundy from Chambertin. In fact, he never traveled without Chambertin. Napoleon loved the wine so much he once quipped, "Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin."

  Napoleon didn't just consume Chambertin for the pleasure of it; he also drank it because his physician encouraged him to do so for his health.
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  (#1) Marie Antoinette

  • Dec. at 38 (1755-1793)

  Some people begin their day with a cup of coffee. Marie Antoinette, on the other hand, jumpstarted her mornings with a velvety, rich cup of hot chocolate. 

  Hot chocolate was a status symbol in the 18th century - a drink for the elites, not the masses. As queen of France, Marie Antoinette thus freely indulged in her chocolate habit. She even employed a "Chocolate Maker to the Queen," whose entire job was to come up with tasty chocolate concoctions. 
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  (#2) Catherine of Braganza

  • Dec. at 67 (1638-1705)

  As the daughter of the wealthy King of Portugal, Catherine of Braganza came to England as the bride of Charles II. But she brought more than a large dowry; she also brought tastes that many claim heightened tea's profile in England.

  When Catherine arrived in England in 1662, tea was used medicinally. In contrast, she drank it regularly, and likely influenced members of her court to do the same. Catherine and her court thus helped make the consumption of tea a fashionable activity. 

  At the same time, some historians caution against giving too much credit to Catherine for revolutionizing English tea consumption. By the time she arrived in England, they claim, trends were already well under way to raise the profile of tea. 

  Whether or not it's historically accurate to call Catherine of Braganza the Mother of Tea in England, what is true is that she has become synonymous with tea. 

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