HM opts for H20 as she puts her fitness first

Busy schedule in run-up to Cop26 and Platinum Jubilee behind ‘personal choice’ to give up alcohol

‘She wants to be in the best possible condition to enjoy those events and doctors told her that cutting down on drink would be helpful’

‘Perhaps losing her husband earlier this year took away some of the pleasure of a pre-dinner drink’

FOR decades, she has charmed guests over lunch and at parties with a little sip of something to hand.

And her penchant for a gin and Dubonnet has become almost legendary, but as the Queen approaches her Platinum Jubilee, she has decided to hang up her wine glass in favour of mineral water.

The Queen, who is 95, is not a big drinker but has previously enjoyed a tipple in the evenings and at special events.

Taking advice from doctors, she apparently wants to remain in the best shape possible as she enjoys travelling around the country again after the long Covid lockdown.

The advice is understood to have been precautionary and not the result of specific health issues.

Well-placed royal sources told The Daily Telegraph Her Majesty recently gave up her favoured Martini cocktails and now drinks only Malvern water.

The decision, one said, was simply a “personal choice”.

“The Queen has a busy schedule coming up including the Cop26 climate summit and of course next year the celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee,” said a courtier.

“She wants to be in the best possible condition to enjoy those events next summer and doctors recently told her that cutting down on drink would be helpful.

“She made the personal decision to give up alcohol totally but she has never been a heavy drinker.” The Queen’s drinking habits have long been a source of fascination to the public.

After tales of her favourite drinks gathered momentum over the years, Darren Mcgrady, who served as the Queen’s chef for a decade, moved to downplay rumours that she was anything but a sensible drinker.

“She’d be pickled if she drank that much,” he said.

Over the years, the Queen has been said to favour a gin and Dubonnet at lunchtime and a gin and vermouth cocktail before dinner.

For decades the Duke of Edinburgh would mix her drink, knowing exactly how she liked it, before pouring a beer for himself.

“Perhaps losing her husband earlier this year took away some of the pleasure of a pre-dinner drink,” said a source.

“It was very much associated with the ritual of being with the Duke.”

The Queen also enjoyed a glass of rosé or German hock with dinner, but was not a big fan of champagne. When she toasted visiting world leaders and other VIPS at banquets, she would be spotted taking the glass to her lips but sipping only a small amount.

During one economy drive, she substituted expensive champagne used for banquets with Tesco’s own brand, telling an aide: “Who can tell the difference when it is served wrapped in white cloth?”

At official receptions, she favoured a clear drink which, in photographs, could equally look like a mixed spirit or water. Earlier this week, the Queen was photographed using a walking stick for the first time in public since in 2004, when she was seen using it while recovering from a knee operation.

Courtiers said the walking aid was for her comfort. It was used during a visit to Westminster Abbey alongside other small accommodations for her age, including her car pulling up to a side entrance to shorten the walk to her seat.

The Queen is understood to be in excellent health for her age.

She has previously made only minor concessions to the practicalities of working in her 90s.

In 2016, she used a lift to enter Parliament for the State Opening, avoiding the 26 steps of the Royal Staircase at the Sovereign’s Entrance.

She has not worn the heavy Imperial State Crown since 2016, instead having it placed on a deep red and gold velvet cushion during the proceedings.

In the coming weeks, the Queen will be keeping up a remarkably busy programme. On Tuesday, she will host a Windsor Castle reception to mark the Global Investment Summit, with guests including the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and business and investment leaders. In November, she will attend Cop26 in Glasgow.