It is an age-old battle, with both sides refusing to budge. Now Prince William has entered the fray, claiming his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, preferred her scones 'the Devonian way' – cream then jam – as opposed to the Cornish custom of jam first.
The revelation – which came, slightly awkwardly, during a trip to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in his role as Duke of Cornwall – is sure to ignite debate, since many believed the late monarch preferred the latter. That is certainly what her former chef claimed and is how they have always served them up at Buckingham Palace garden parties, where no one, not even Her Late Majesty, complained.
In an interview with Heart FM's breakfast show with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston, William was offered some scones and asked which way he preferred them. He said: 'I love that I'm the authority on the scones. I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely... have the cream on first.' However, he added: 'It tastes delicious either way.'
While the origins of the rivalry are unclear, Cornish people believe their own clotted cream should be the crowning glory of the sweet treat, while devoted Devonians believe the cream acts as butter to stop the jam sliding off. Prince William waded into the scone debate while appearing on Heart radio's breakfast programme. The Duke of Cornwall said his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, preferred her scones the 'Devonian way', with cream first then jam.
The prince also told the show, which was broadcast live from St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly, of his pride at the way his wife has come through her cancer battle, describing her as an 'amazing mum and wife'.
