The Reason Queen Elizabeth II Demands Her Ice Cubes Be Round

Whether you prefer it crushed, cubed, or cylindrical (complete with a straw-sized hole through the center), you probably have an opinion about which type of ice is the best. As it turns out, so does Queen Elizabeth II.

According to The Independent, the 93-year-old monarch requests that her drinks contain round ice, rather than the more traditional cubes. As Karen Dolby, author of the upcoming Queen Elizabeth II’s Guide to Life, told The Sun, the reason is because balls of ice don’t clink quite as much in the glass—possibly because spheres have smaller surface areas than cubes for any given volume.

Dolby also revealed that the Queen’s ice specifications don’t just apply to her own beverages; she insists that all drinks in her residences be served with round ice. We don’t know for sure if that included the private staff bar that used to be located in Buckingham Palace, but it definitely wasn’t shut down because of a few loud ice cubes.

While promoting his book We Are Amused in 2010, unofficial royal biographer Brian Hoey told ABC News that the Queen detests the noise of ice clinking so much that Prince Philip actually created an ice machine to produce tiny, quieter balls of ice, though that hasn’t been confirmed by any official royal sources.

The Queen might not need ice at all for several beverages she’s been known to enjoy, including tea, champagne, and wine, but she does need it for her drink of choice—gin mixed with Dubonnet, which she prefers on the rocks.

Wondering what else you don’t know about the long-reigning Queen of England? Find out 25 more fascinating facts here.