In a strange incident, former British Health Minister Alan Johnson inadvertently consumed biscuits intended for Queen Elizabeth's dogs while sitting next to her during a luncheon at Windsor Castle in 2008. According to journalist Robert Hardman, after the meal, Alan Johnson remarked that he "particularly enjoyed the unusual dark biscuits and cheese" that the Queen had provided.
The book reveals what happened and how Paul Murphy, the then Welsh Secretary, surprised his cabinet colleague sitting next to him at the royal lunch by disclosing the truth about what he had eaten (he informed him that the dark biscuits he had eaten were meant for the Queen's dogs, which generally wander around the table near the Queen).
Hardman writes in his book: Paul Murphy told Johnson, "No, the dark biscuits were for the corgis (the Queen's breed of dogs)!" After it became clear to Johnson that he had been snacking on dog treats, he jokingly remarked, "I don't think I've ever had cheese with Bonio biscuits before!"
The two ministers had attended a special council meeting before being invited by the Queen for lunch, according to Hardman's book "Queen of Our Times," where Johnson and Murphy dined on either side of the Queen during the meal. Johnson recounted to Hardman how relaxed the Queen was during lunch, noting, "The informality lasted until the end, as the Queen chatted while feeding treats to her dogs at the same time."
