Etta Richardson's cakes are made to a 50-year-old secret recipe

A grandmother's secret recipe fruit cakes, along with egg and cress sandwiches and mini Cornish pasties were all on the menu at the royal wedding reception.

Etta Richardson, 74, was asked to make 20 double-boiled Welsh fruit cakes for the wedding after Prince Charles developed a taste for them on a tour of Wales in 2004.

Caterers worked around the clock to make 16,900 canapes and other delights for the 800 guests at the Windsor Castle reception.

The Queen and the newly-wed Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall were also able to enjoy miniature ice-cream cornets, smoked salmon on brown bread and roast venison and Balmoral jelly on white.

Retro is coming back Antony Worrall Thompson Celebrity chef

Guests included all the senior British royals, invited foreign royals, eight governors-general, leaders of opposition parties and a host of celebrities.

Sweet treats included caramel banana slices, caramelised lemon tarts and Cornish scones served with cream and jam.

The royal wedding buffet was described as "very handbags and blue rinse" by celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson.

Mr Worrall Thompson said the menu was "very country" and "sort of low budget but in many ways it's traditional".

"I thought it was going to be a formal buffet, all canapes, but they've gone for tea," he said.

Mr Worrall Thompson said one of his former chefs was now head chef for Prince Charles, although he did not think he was involved in the royal buffet.

He said: "Retro is coming back", adding that prawn cocktail served in his own restaurant had been "walking out of the door".

The Menu

Sandwiches