Hi Professor Williams! Thanks for doing this.

Food is something that unites us all. Seeing as you're a food and social historian, I'm curious to know the place of food amongst royalty. For example, was there a specific type of food that was conceptualized as being only for royal women as opposed to royal men? That is, were there such things as 'feminine' vs 'masculine' food?

Hello, and welcome!

I've been an avid follower of British royal food since a visit to the Hampton Court kitchens some years ago, and it's clear that there's a lot more material available around elite food than peasant food (which is largely where my own research tries to go). However, it's not clear to me how streamlined the food production process was, or how much it could deviate, given the volume. Reading Peter Brears' work, I get the impression that the majority of people in a royal court ate what they were given, which was often much the same from day to day. So to the actual question:

To what degree was it possible for someone in the Tudor era to request food different to that which the rest of the court was eating?

And separately to the other question, and very much tying in to my own recent unhealthy obsession with historical pickling:

How much was preserved food (dried, smoked, pickled, cured) an element of royal dining, as opposed to fresh meat, vegetables and fruit? Did the elite status of the court allow them access to fresh food when others didn't have it (late winter/spring)?

Do you have any ancient royal recipes so I can officially cook dinner fit for a king?

Hello! I was wondering what a royal breakfast would be like in the West in (very roughly) the 17th — 19th centuries. 



What was the designated room and set up like? Would food be brought out as courses like at dinner, or laid out all at once? What foods were typically eaten? Were foreign/“exotic” fruits common?

Thanks so much for doing this; I'm an avid user of academic materials online, and the upcoming course on royal food sounds fascinating!

How much social status was associated with working in the kitchens for a royal court? Did the master's prestige 'rub off' on their servants, with higher status masters of the household having higher status servants, or were most kitchen servants on the same sort of level?

Hello! Others have already asked some very good questions about food, and so I thought I'd ask about your being a historian on TV getting people excited about history.

What do you find are the limitations and strengths of the televisual medium as compared to, say, a dry academic text with footnotes, in terms of conveying information?

Do you find there is any pressure from producers at TV networks to 'dumb it down' or to present a biased take on a situation (either for entertainment value, or to court/avoid controversy)?

And for you, where do you try to situate yourself in terms of entertainment value vs. dry academic accuracy? Have you had moments on screen where you've felt uneasy about what you're saying versus the more complicated reality that's too hard to explain in a soundbite, or where you've been particularly pleased at how well the program has explained a complex situation using the advantages of TV?

Thanks for all your work and for doing this AMA here.

The quantity of food served per person at feasts seems extraordinary in some accounts I have read. Did people really eat that much or is it exaggerated?

Prof. Williams,

thank you for this AMA.

I don't know if you are familiar with his work (he's read widely in Germany where I reside but I have no idea if he is widely read in GB), Wolfgang Schievelbusch wrote in his book about the history of pleasure concerning food that taste has changed considerably from pre-modern to modern times? Could you confirm and comment on that subject matter, especially concerning certain ingredients such as the overuse of spice seen as luxuries like Cinnamon?

Thank you!

Hi Prof Williams, just wondering if there is any evidence that any monarchs were vegetarian?

Hi Professor, thanks for doing this!

What sort of vegetable dishes were popular in Royal Feasts in the time you study? Mostly the meats and deserts get "top billing," in the accounts I've read so I'd like to hear a bit more about the veggies.

Hi, former and soon to be again Reading student here. Thanks for doing the AMA.

Whats the most excessive and gluttonous royal feast to ever happen?

Whats your favourite royal palace?

With regards to getting people excited about history, what do you think is the best way of doing this? Ive often found telling fun stories from historical times can hook people in, as does a lighthearted explanation of the events leading to the formation of England - something that it seems very few English know about, but are curious when poked about it.

Generally, did food differ across royal courts due to regional differences? Or did courts try to copy their menus from other more opulent monarchs? In this case, what courts where trend setting when it came to dining?

Hello Professor Williams, thank you so much for doing this AMA!

I would like to ask about the variety of sources used to establish the diet of, say, Elizabeth I. Where would one find descriptions of the meals? Did the cooks have a system/plan of various dishes, which would be served during the week? Do we have access to these, if they indeed existed? Are we able to assess portions and amounts of food consumed during a typical meal?

And if I might be so bold and add another question - has this information ever been used to establish nutritional values and in researching health of the royal members?

Thanks for being here, Professor Williams! I'm curious about the early history of canned foods ─ in their early development during the Napoleonic period, was there a period in which they were considered a prestige product?

I'll cross-post here a couple questions that showed upon Twitter for you:

• From Steve Ellis: "If you could do a Bill and Ted which 3 people from history would you like to bring here today?"

• From Tony Brace: "Do you have a favourite period in history? And if so why?"

Hi! I'd like to ask about the 'logistics' involved in creating these kinds of opportunities for yourself.

I'm a PhD candidate researching beer (as it relates to German immigration to the US), which includes a lot of potential for public engagement. But I'm not always sure how best to go about it.

1. How did/do you select which people/organizations you'll reach out to when creating this MOOC, or similar forms of engagement (media articles, public talks, collaboration with food industry professionals, etc)?

2. Do you have any general guidelines for "pitching" your ideas?

3. How does your department regard your efforts? (I've heard many departments do not particularly value public engagement compared with traditional research/publication practices, which affects professional advancement and tenure)

4. Do you have any advice on maintaining relationships? I've had a couple opportunities inexplicably peter out before plans were finalized, and it's hard to know whether I could be doing more than sending the occasional email to "check in."

Thank you so much!

What did weaned children under 5 eat in royal households? It has been suggested that the poor nutrition in children in pre-industrial era was a significant factor in the high infant mortality. Did upper class children have what we would today consider good nutrition appropriate for their age?