The McDonald's Location That Was Technically Owned By The Queen Of England

Prior to her death in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II was the owner of many properties — more than she had probably ever been to. This was because of the Crown Estate, which oversaw a plethora of properties that belonged to the reigning monarch. At the time of the Queen's death, the Estate's assets were estimated to be worth more than $19 billion. Within the monarch's prized portfolio — mixed in with her castles and racetracks — was a McDonald's restaurant inside Banbury Gateway Shopping Park.

This McDonald's in Oxfordshire, England is actually fairly similar to any normal, non-royal fast food establishment when it comes to its menu. While some international McDonald's locations serve beer, this isn't one of them. The charm of this particular Banbury McDonald's is its atmosphere, which sports unique couches and booths, glazed floors, and even free Wi-Fi and charging ports. While the location might be considered posh by McDonald's standards, its customers may be completely unaware of the fact that it was basically the Queen's McDonald's. After the Queen's passing, the Crown Estate transferred to her successor: her son, King Charles.

Queen Elizabeth II isn't the only royal with ties to McDonald's. Princess Diana reportedly treated her sons to lunch at fast food restaurants. Royal Chef Darren McGrady once told Marie Claire a story about how Diana told him not to make lunch, assuring the chef the family would be going to McDonald's instead. When McGrady told her that he could make burgers for Princes William and Harry in the palace, Diana said that they wanted the toys that come with the meal.

But one royal chef actually has a professional history with McDonald's. Chef René Arend cooked in the royal kitchens for Queen Elizabeth II before being hired by McDonald's to incorporate chicken into their otherwise beef-heavy menu. The chef then went on to invent some iconic menu items: Chicken McNuggets and the McRib.

While it may be unlikely that Queen Elizabeth ever even visited the royal McDonald's (Chef Darren McGrady claims she wasn't a fan of the restaurant, but says that even though she passed on all the McDonald's burgers, she definitely loved a good beef patty), it's still a destination-style attraction for fans of the Royal Family and the golden arches, alike. If only Queen Elizabeth had tried the decidedly English Cadbury Crème Egg McFlurry, or any of the other McDonald's McFlurrys from around the world, she might have changed her mind.