- Charles Francatelli Victoria
- Charles Francatelli Cookbook
- Charles Francatelli Victoria
- Charles Francatelli Wife Nancy Skerrett
- Mr Francatelli
< Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900(Redirected from Francatelli, Charles Elmé (DNB00))
We see her long-awaited marriage to Victoria's chef, Charles Francatelli, and with it, Skerrett's difficulty in leaving the Queen's side. The scenes between Francatelli and Skerrett on her. Ferdinand Kingsley (Charles Francatelli) MASTERPIECE: Were you as sad as Francatelli was that you didn’t get to film in Scotland? KINGSLEY: Absolutely! I have massive FOMO at the best of times.
Charles Francatelli Victoria
Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 20
Francatelli, Charles Elmé by George Barnett Smith
Francatelli, Charles Elmé by George Barnett Smith
FRANCATELLI, CHARLES ELMÉ (1805–1876), cook, born in London in 1805, was of Italian extraction, and was educated in France. He studied the culinary art under Carême, and advanced it to unprecedented perfection in this country. He became successively chef de cuisine to the Earl of Chesterfield, the Earl of Dudley, Lord Kianaird, &c. Afterwards he managed the well-known Crockford's, or the St. James's Club, whence he removed to the royal household, becoming maitre d'hôtel and chief cook in ordinary to the queen. He next farmed the once flourishing Coventry House Club, and for seven years was chef de cuisine to the Reform Club. He afterwards managed the St. James's Hotel, Berkeley Street, Piccadilly, and finally the Freemasons' Tavern, which post he held until within a short period of his death. Francatelli was very successful as an author. In 1845 he published the 'Modern Cook,' which ran through twelve editions. This was succeeded in 1861 by 'The Cook's Guide and Butler's Assistant.' The same year he issued his 'Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes,' and in 1862 the 'Royal English and Foreign Confectionery Book.' In the latter work he discussed the art of confectionery in all its branches as practised in England and in all the leading European countries. While able to dress the costliest banquets, Francatelli was likewise a culinary economist. On one occasion he characteristically remarked that he could feed every day a thousand families on the food that was wasted in London. His cookery book for the working classes contained information of practical value to the poor. Francatelli died at Eastbourne on 10 Aug. 1876.
[Men of the Time, 8th edit.; Ann. Reg. 1876; Illustr. Lond. News, 19 Aug. 1876.]Retrieved from 'https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Francatelli,_Charles_Elmé&oldid=10552630'
by Susan Flantzer
Charles Elmé Francatelli, drawn by Auguste Hervieu and engraved by Samuel Freeman, 1846; Credit – Wikipedia
![Charles Charles](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118883396/775487275.jpg)
Charles Francatelli Cookbook
Read about others who served Queen Victoria at Unofficial Royalty: Queen Victoria’s Inner Circle Index.
Charles Francatelli Victoria
A thank you to Colin Smythe who emailed me in 2020 and shared his article on Charles Elmé Francatelli that helped me fill in some missing details.
![Charles Charles](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118883396/569151298.jpg)
Charles Elmé Francatelli served as maitre d’hôtel and chief cook in ordinary to Queen Victoria from 1840 – 1842.
Charles Elmé Francatelli was born in 1805 in London, England, the second son of Nicholas Francatelli, the first Francatelli to arrive in England. He was educated in France at the Parisian College of Cooking where he studied culinary arts with Antonin Carême, known as “The King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings.” When Francatelli returned to England, he became chef de cuisine (executive chef) to several members of the nobility. He then became chef de cuisine at the St. James’s Club, popularly known as Crockford’s.
For two years only, from March 9, 1840 to March 31, 1842, Francatelli served as maitre d’hôtel and chief cook in ordinary to Queen Victoria. For some reason, he was dismissed, perhaps because Queen Victoria did not like his French cuisine, and he returned to Crockford’s. Francatelli did have one more royal client. From 1863 – 1865, he served as chef de cuisine to The Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) at their London home, Marlborough House.
During his career, Francatelli was chef de cuisine at the Coventry House Club and the Reform Club. Afterward, he managed the St. James’s Hotel in Piccadilly, London, and finally the Freemasons’ Tavern, a position he held until shortly before his death.
Francatelli was a very successful cookbook author. In 1845, he published The Modern Cook which ran through twelve editions. His next book was The Cook’s Guide and Butler’s Assistant published in 1861. The same year, he published Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes which contained practical information valuable to the less affluent people. In 1862, The Royal English and Foreign Confectionery Book was published.
Charles Francatelli Wife Nancy Skerrett
Very little is known about Francatelli’s personal life. He did marry (not to Queen Victoria’s dresser Marianne Skerrett) and have children. His first wife was named Elizabeth (circa 1807-1869, birth surname unknown). They had two children: Ernest (circa1835-1888) and Emily who was born about a year before Ernest.
After his first wife died, the 65-year-old Francatelli married again in 1870 to 25-year-old Elizabeth Cooke. They had a son named after his father, Charles Elmé Francatelli who was born in 1875 and two daughters who died in childhood: Violet (1872-1873), and Bessie (1874-1880).
Mr Francatelli
Charles Elmé Francatelli died in Eastbourne, England on August 10, 1876, at the age of 71, leaving his widow with two young children. His widow Elizabeth Cooke died in 1882, leaving the only surviving child, his father’s namesake, as the guardian of her brother.
Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard
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Works Cited
- “Charles Elmé Francatelli”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Elm%C3%A9_Francatelli. Accessed 27 May 2018.
- “Charles Elmé Francatelli”. It.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Elm%C3%A9_Francatelli. Accessed 27 May 2018.
- “Francatelli, Charles Elmé (DNB00) – Wikisource, The Free Online Library”. En.Wikisource.Org, 2018, https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Francatelli,_Charles_Elm%C3%A9_(DNB00). Accessed 27 May 2018.
- Oulton, Randal. “Charles Elmé Francatelli”. Cooksinfo.Com, 2018, http://www.cooksinfo.com/charles-elme-francatelli. Accessed 27 May 2018.
- Smythe, Colin, 2014. Charles Elmé Francatelli, Crockford’S, And The Royal Connection – Colin Smythe. [online] Colin Smythe. Available at: <https://colinsmythe.co.uk/charles-elme-francatelli-crockfords-and-the-royal-connection/> [Accessed 4 July 2020].