Kate Middleton Gave the Queen This Homemade Gift at Her First Royal Christmas: ‘I Was Worried

Finding the perfect Christmas gift for your in-laws can be nerve-racking — especially when that family member is Queen Elizabeth!

Kate Middleton was feeling the pressure to find a suitable present for the monarch ahead of her very first Christmas with the royal family in 2011 after her wedding to Prince William.

“I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present,” Kate revealed in the 2016 ITV special Our Queen at Ninety.

“I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’ I thought back to what would I give my own grandparents. And I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’ Which could have gone horribly wrong,” Kate said, adding, “But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney.”

And to Kate’s surprise, the chutney was well-received.

“I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table,” she explained. “I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”

So what goes into the Middleton family chutney? According to Celebrate, the 2012 cookbook and entertaining guide written by Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton, the recipe features, apples, onions and “marrows” – that’s zucchini for Americans

The condiment, which is called “Granny’s Marrow Chutney” in Pippa’s book, involves simmering 4 lbs. of zucchini with a mixture of raisins, onions, brown sugar, malt vinegar and other seasonings for two hours.

The Cambridge family will be spending the holiday season at their country home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk and plan to gather with the Queen and other members of the royal family for the monarch’s annual gathering at her Sandringham estate.