Queen Elizabeth held a reception at her London residence Buckingham Palace to recognise 370 people who have made “a significant contribution to the British hospitality industry”, but Jamie Oliver was notably absent.
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The TV chef, who famously refused to wear a tie when the queen presented him with his MBE (Member of the British Empire) order in 2003, was not at the event attended by fellow chefs Gordon Ramsay and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, suggesting he may have been overlooked by the monarch.
However, Jamie’s spokesperson has denied he was snubbed, adding: “He was invited. We reluctantly had to decline the invitation due to a diary clash but the palace was cool with it.”
Another notably absent member of the British culinary industry was Delia Smith, who is commonly referred to as ‘Saint Delia’ because of her contribution to cooking, but her spokesperson said: “I don’t know if she was invited or not”.
Buckingham Palace refused to comment about the guest list.
