Which chef created coronation chicken with Constance Spry?

Rosemary Hume created coronation chicken with Constance Spry.

Hume was a chef and a principal of the London Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, while Spry was an influential florist, educator, and author. Together they devised the dish for events connected with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Hume is especially associated with developing the chicken recipe, while Spry contributed to the collaboration and its presentation.

The original dish, also called Poulet Reine Elizabeth, used cold poached chicken with a curry-flavoured cream sauce and apricot purée. It was served with rice salad and designed for a formal occasion rather than as a hot curry. Modern versions often replace cream with mayonnaise and use dried apricots, sultanas, almonds, or crème fraîche.

A common mix-up is crediting only Spry because the dish is closely linked to her name and cookbook. The fair historical answer is Hume, but the dish is properly credited to both women. It was created for the 1953 coronation, not the 1935 silver jubilee.