The British Royal Family’s drinking habits have long been a source of fascination, and new revelations from Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, are casting fresh light on life behind palace doors.

Burrell’s new book, The Royal Insider, uncovers how both staff and royals indulged – often with a fondness for gin, although Diana herself broke with the trend by enjoying a glass of white wine instead.

Burrell, who worked at Buckingham Palace for 11 years before joining the late Princess of Wales’ household at Kensington Palace, describes a residence that earned a playful nickname among insiders: “the gin palace.”

“Gallons of gin were consumed every week,” Paul wrote, “some legitimately, some not,” and according to the butler, staff developed “ingenious ways” to sneak alcohol into private quarters.

“I would be ordered by senior members of staff,” Burrell said, “to empty a screw-top tonic water bottle each night and fill it with gin for them to use for parties in their rooms.

“Footmen could be seen carrying Russell Hobbs electric kettles around the palace, not full of water but full of gin.”

A long-standing booze tradition

While Burrell’s anecdotes center on palace staff, royal experts note that drinking has long been part of royal tradition. As Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, told Fox News Digital, the Queen Mother was well-known for enjoying “a tipple.”

Her daily routine reportedly included “a gin and Dubonnet at noon, red wine at lunch, a martini in the evening, and pink champagne after dinner,” and Queen Elizabeth II shared her mother’s preference for gin and Dubonnet.

Her husband, Prince Philip, however, opted for simpler pleasures. As Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital, Boddingtons Bitter was his favorite: “He would not often drink wine at banquets, preferring a bottle of beer instead.”

In more recent generations, Princess Catherine (Kate Middleton) reportedly enjoys an evening gin and tonic – a ritual shared with Prince William, who is known to bring her one after putting their children to bed, according to People magazine.

Even the famously disciplined King Charles III has a preferred nightcap. Biographer Valentine Low, author of Power and the Palace, recalled that Charles “skips lunch and eats lightly,” but still appreciates “a very good malt whiskey – a glass of Laphroaig.”

Meanwhile, royal expert Hilary Fordwich added to Fox News Digital that the monarch enjoys a “meticulously prepared martini with equal parts gin and vermouth,” reflecting his preference for moderation and ritual.

The one Royal Family member who can’t handle his drink

Unlike many of his relatives, Prince William has earned a reputation as a notably light drinker. His cousin’s husband and former rugby player Mike Tindall affectionately dubbed him “One Pint Willy.”

It’s a nickname that has since stuck, and royal expert Hilary Fordwich explained to Fox News Digital, “It refers to his low alcohol tolerance compared to the rather robust drinking habits of the rest of the royal family.”

While William enjoys the occasional gin and tonic – often shared with Princess Catherine after a long day – his moderation reflects a more measured lifestyle, reflective of his plans for the Royal Family when he becomes king.