Which British monarch was first served crêpe Suzette as Prince of Wales?

Edward VII was first served crêpe Suzette while he was still Prince of Wales.

The famous account places the serving in 1895 at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris. Henri Charpentier, described in his autobiography as a young assistant waiter, was preparing crêpes for the prince and his party when the orange liqueur caught fire. The resulting sauce combined caramelized sugar and butter with citrus juice, zest, and orange liqueur.

Charpentier said the dessert was initially called “Crêpes Princesse,” but Edward suggested naming it after a woman named Suzette who was present. That origin story is not universally accepted. Larousse Gastronomique questioned whether Charpentier was old enough to have served the prince, while another account connects the name with French actress Suzanne Reichenberg.

Despite the disputed details, Edward VII is the monarch consistently connected with the dish’s celebrated origin story. The dessert later became known for flambéing the sauce tableside, although early published recipes did not always include that final flame.