Queen Elizabeth’s trick to beating jet lag costs just $1

Queen Elizabeth has one trick for fighting pesky jet lags that would have prevented her from staying awake during official functions, and it only costs a dollar. Her Majesty reportedly relies on barley sugar to help her adjust to different time zones.

As the world’s longest-reigning monarch, it’s no surprise that the Queen has travelled aplenty in her life. And that’s why whatever advice she has on dealing with jet lag, it’s almost guaranteed it’s a sound one.

According to a 1997 article on the Independent, the Queen takes homoeopathic medicines and barley sugar, or a hard candy made from an extract of the eponymous cereal grain, to combat jet lag. Barley lollies seem like a curious fix but it’s one that works, according to Dr Nick Knight. The general practitioner has explained to the Telegraph UK why chewing on the candy can be an effective medicine.

“What the Queen is doing by having barley sugar is essentially using her body’s sugar metabolic pathways to help adjust her body clock,” he said. “It’s a little niche but essentially the same should happen if you were to have your breakfast, lunch and dinner at times that match your destination before you get there, regardless of whether you’re hungry or not. Doing this instead of just consuming barley sugar will obviously be more filling.”

The Independent article also detailed the Queen’s travel necessities, which included tons of old-fashioned, metal-bound trunks and transparent umbrellas. Like every other British royal, she also has to pack mourning clothes, which she must wear in case someone in the family unfortunately dies while she’s away.

It was not revealed when the black outfit rule was established, but it must have been after the Queen’s father’s death. In 1952, the then-princess was on a trip to Kenya with Prince Philip when news of King George VI’s passing reached her. She did not bring a black dress with her on the trip, so she had to wait on the plane until a mourning dress was delivered to her. She could not apparently emerge and face the press in her regular outfit during a sad occasion.