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The Queen and the late Prince Philip board a plane in Abuja
Her Majesty’s ‘secret weapon’ can be bought online for as little as £4.99
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Queen Elizabeth II’s royal duties have taken her all around the world during 70 years on the throne and several more before she was crowned.
Now the monarch’s secret tips for beating the effects of jet lag when taking long or frequent flights have been revealed.
In a recent Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Flight, a source said Her Majesty has a secret weapon when it comes to staying focused on far-flung trips: barley sugar boiled sweets.
“Barley sugar, apparently. [The Queen] says that she thinks it can help with jet lag, which is an interesting one – I hadn’t heard that one before,” said royal correspondent Emily Andrews in the documentary.
The barley sugar “cubes” are made using cane sugar and barley water, cream of tartar and water, and can be bought online for as little as £4.99.
Meanwhile, GP Dr Nick Knight told The Telegraph: “What the Queen is doing by having barley sugar is essentially using her body’s sugar metabolic pathways to help adjust her body clock.”
The documentary describes Britain’s royal family as “the most well-travelled royal family in history” - one expert on the show says the Queen has been around the world 42 times.
The Queen’s uncle, Edward VIII was the first monarch to have access to a royal plane during his short, 11-month reign in 1936.
Official state visits have taken Elizabeth II to the US, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand, among others.
According to former royal pilot Graham Laurie, the Queen also enjoys Fray Bentos pies - an iconic tinned, puff-pastry topped snack beloved of the British - onboard her official flights.
“I think it’s such a lovely change from all that fancy food which comes first class!” said Mr Laurie in the documentary.
Doctors would also back the Queen’s other jet-lag hack: staying hydrated throughout long flights.
Dickie Arbiter, a former royal spokesperson, says: “The only thing the Queen requests to have wherever she is, is Malvern Water.
“She likes Malvern water, it’s refreshing and they usually take lots of it with her.”
It’s no secret that dehydration is an effect of flying: research shows that sitting in a aeroplane cabin setting can lead to 1.5-2 litres of water loss from the body during a 10-hour flight.
The Aerospace Medical Association recommends drinking around 250ml of water each hour while on a flight.
The documentary also featured steward Dave Wright showing the kitchen service area on the royal jet, and revealing that Prince Charles insists on organic food prepared by his own chef.
Former crew said that the Queen likes a Dubonnet aperitif on her flights, while it’s rumoured by other correspondents that Prince Charles brings a pre-shaken Martini onboard.
Meanwhile, a to the programme claims that Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has all of her outfits laid flat on plane seats during her royal tour flights.
“Some of them brought their own slippers,” said Bob Shields, a former flight navigator, while another staffer said that crew also have to cater to the royal dogs.
Another said that a young Prince William and Prince Harry were “all over the aircraft”, “knew where the sweets were kept” and “left with their pockets bulging” with them.
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The Queen and the late Prince Philip board a plane in Abuja
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