British royal wedding banquets were once a time for families to show off their wealth and use exotic ingredients but in recent years, nuptials have more personal touches and use homegrown produce. We look back at some of the most impressive and surprising wedding dishes throughout history – and consider what the recently engaged royals Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie might serve on their respective big days.

Henry VIII is famed for liking his food almost as much as getting married. His first marriage (of six) was perhaps the most extravagant, marked with a three-day banquet. The centrepiece was roasted swan, which was stuffed with a lark, stuffed with a sparrow. Today swans are protected in the UK by the Queen and it’s illegal to harm or eat them.

The wedding of George VI (then Prince Albert) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (best known as the Queen Mother) in April 1923 was an incredibly sophisticated affair. Unusual for the time, the couple chose an entirely French menu. It was prepared by chef Gabriel Tschumi, who also served as head chef to Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V. This avant-garde wedding breakfast would have been considered very fashionable at the time.

Their four-course banquet featured dishes named after members of the family, which has now become traditional for royal weddings. These included consommé à la Windsor (Windsor soup), suprèmes de saumon Reine Mary (Queen Mary salmon) and côtelettes d’agneau Prince Albert (Prince Albert lamb cutlets).

Albert and Elizabeth's celebrations ended with Duchesse Elizabeth (strawberries and cream), which has become a regular feature of royal weddings. The classic British summer fruit was also served at their daughter Elizabeth’s nuptials, as well as the weddings of Prince Charles, Prince Andrews and Zara Phillips.

Queen Elizabeth (then Princess) and Phillip Mountbatten’s post-war wedding was far more modest. The pair tied the knot in November 1947 during a time of austerity in the UK. There was a fish starter, named filet de sole Mountbatten after the groom, which was followed by partridge casserole.

During the early to mid-1900s, it had become quite fashionable to name the wedding dessert after the bride. So, for dessert, ‘iced bombe Princess Elizabeth’ was served. It was accompanied by strawberries which, at the time, would have been quite a novelty to have off-season in November.

Food rationing was still in place in Britain after the war so the ingredients for Queen Elizabeth’s wedding cake were donated by the Australian Girl Guide Association and flown over from the other side of the world – earning it the nickname ‘the 10,000 mile cake’. The incredible creation was nine feet tall and weighed 500lbs.

When Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s sister, walked down the aisle in 1960 to marry Antony Armstrong-Jones, austerity was a thing of the past. Following a lavish ceremony the couple and their guests tucked into fillet of beef, green beans and a sweet soufflé dessert.

Bollinger was the first champagne to receive a royal warrant, which was issued by Queen Victoria in 1884. Since then, several brands including Moët & Chandon, Laurent-Perrier and Veuve Clicquot have become official suppliers and they now all carry royal warrants which read "By appointment of the Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Majesty". So the royal family has plenty of choice for wedding day champagne toasts.

Edward VIII rocked the British monarchy in 1936 when he abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Despite having just 20 guests at their ceremony in France (Edward's family were forbidden from attending), the couple had a seven-tier wedding cake. A slice of the cake was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1998 for nearly £21,500 ($30,000).

Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in the early 1970s but there wasn't a prawn cocktail or puff pastry vol-au-vent in sight. The happy couple and their guests enjoyed a lavish lunch of lobster, partridge and fresh peas followed by peppermint ice cream instead.

Princess Anne’s wedding cake was a showstopper. It's reported that the five-tier masterpiece was exactly five feet and six inches, the same height as the bride.

An estimated 750 million people around the world watched as Prince Charles married Lady Diana at St Paul's Cathedral in July 1982. Around 120 guests were invited to the light three-course wedding breakfast which included quenelle of brill in lobster sauce, Princess of Wales chicken (chicken breast stuffed with lamb mousse) and strawberries with Cornish cream.

In addition to their official cake (pictured), the couple received 27 wedding cakes from generous well-wishers around the world which were distributed to schools and charities. You may still be able to find a slice on eBay. During a recent search we discovered one piece selling for £795 ($1115).

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson ensured the late Queen Mother was happy during their celebration in July 1986 by serving her favourite eggs Drumkilbo. A traditional Scottish recipe, thought to have originated in Perthshire, this light starter combines hard-boiled eggs with lobster and seafood sauce. Lamb with mint sauce and new potatoes was served for the main course, followed by strawberries with clotted cream (of course) and a six-tiered wedding cake.

Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, and Sophie Rhys-Jones broke with tradition on their big day in June 1999, and served guests a buffet lunch. The Russian-inspired menu using fresh, seasonal British produce included coulibiac (salmon en croute with spinach and pilaf rice), smoked haddock and beef stroganoff.

The rebellious couple also opted for a layered devil’s food wedding cake, a rich chocolate cake, rather than a classic fruit cake. They also swapped the usual dessert strawberries for raspberries, served with cream.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles opted for traditional British dishes following their civil ceremony in 2005. Their low-key celebration included mini Cornish pasties, vegetable tartlets and open sandwiches like egg and cress on granary bread, smoked salmon on brown bread and roast venison with Balmoral redcurrant and port jelly on white.

The retro buffet also featured boiled fruit cakes, produced by 74-year-old Etta Richardson. The previous year, Prince Charles sampled her recipe during a tour of Wales and was so impressed he asked her to make 20 individual cakes for his wedding reception.

The 650 guests who attended Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011 were invited back to Buckingham Place. Royal chef Mark Flanagan (pictured centre with Sophie, Countess of Wessex) and his team of 21 cooks prepared 10,000 canapés, including British favourites like bubble and squeak, confit shoulder of lamb and quail eggs with celery salt.

The three-course evening dinner prepared by the Michelin-starred Swiss chef Anton Mosimann featured British ingredients from Royal Warrant-holding companies. South Uist salmon and Lyme Bay crab with Hebridean langoustines were served for the starter. They were followed by North Highland lamb with vegetables and Jersey royal potatoes and a trio of Berkshire honey ice cream, sherry trifle and chocolate parfait.

The couple's official eight-tier wedding cake was made by British baker Fiona Cairns. The elaborate creation was made up of seventeen individual fruit cakes, decorated with handmade flowers and an intricate garland. The design matched the ceiling decoration of the palace's Picture Gallery where it was put on display.

Prince William also requested his favourite royal family recipe for chocolate biscuit cake was served. Other sweet treats included rhubarb crème brûlée, passionfruit praline, blood orange paté de fruit, gâteau opéra, and white and dark chocolate ganache truffles.

One item that wouldn’t have been found on Prince William and Catherine’s wedding menu is foie gras. The duck or goose liver paté been banned from royal residences since 2008. Prince Charles imposed the order, due to the cruel way birds are force-fed to make them meatier.

The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips married rugby player Mike Tindall in 2011 in Edinburgh, so it’s not surprising the wedding menu had a Scottish theme. Guests were served a crayfish cocktail starter followed by Scottish venison with dauphinoise potatoes and chocolate fondant with strawberries.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s sister Pippa Middleton is not strictly a member of the royal family, but there were several royals in attendance when she tied the knot to James Matthews in May 2017. It was reported that 20,000 canapés were served during her lavish reception, including fresh langoustine, asparagus spears with hollandaise sauce and muntjac carpaccio.

Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement last November, the world has been speculating about their plans for the big day on 19 May this year. Apparently, the couple have chosen Table Talk to cater for the event. It's the same company who provided the food when William tied the knot with Kate.

According to some reports, the couple have chosen a banana-flavoured wedding cake, rather than the traditional icing-covered fruit cake. Harry is said to be a big fan of banana desserts. In 1997, former royal chef Darren McGrady told UK magazine Hello! that Harry and William “loved banana flan, anything with banana really, banana ice cream."

The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie is also set to the tie the knot this year with long-term partner Jack Brooksbank. The bride-to-be recently shared a picture on Pinterest, captioned: "Love the Petersham Nursery in London as a wedding destination xx". There's now some speculation the couple could employ the venue, which offers a wedding service. Their seasonal menu includes dishes like raw shaved tema artichoke and puntarelle with speck and black Iberico tomatoes.