THE head of one of Europe’s most glamorous royal families has enjoyed tucking in to fresh Scottish haddock, sourced by Cockenzie fishmongers.

Prince Albert of Monaco was dished up a tasty takeaway at a fish and chip party from a Scottish van parked outside a five-star hotel in Monte Carlo.

Pamela Zenati and her mum Marion Dickson, of the well-established James Dickson and Son Fishmongers, travelled to the principality for the Monte Carlo Whisky Conference 2013, a celebratory weekend promoting Scottish produce to tie in with St Andrew’s Day.

It was organised by Monaco-based La Maison D’Ecosse, which showcases Scottish heritage and culture via the appreciation of fine whisky, and whose owner and director is Cockenzie expat Anita Di Sotto.

Her father, Johnny Di Ciacca, ran a fish and chip shop and cafe in Cockenzie.

Anita, a former primary school teacher in Haddington who opened Loretto kindergarten, left Cockenzie when she married in 1981 and has been in Monaco since 2001.

She emailed Marion to invite Dickson’s to supply their top-quality fish.

“Her mum and dad were very friendly with my mum and dad and she said she had very good memories of the fish and chips from her childhood,” said Pamela.

Dickson’s 12 stones of fish, which came from Shetland, had been filleted in Cockenzie and specially packed, then whisked off to Peebles.

There, Pamela and her husband Brahim met Murray Cameron of Anstruther and the precious cargo was put aboard his fish and chip van.

Pamela and Marion flew over, and there was a full weekend’s itinerary of events.

The wine cellar at the lavish Hotel de Paris was the venue for whisky tasting with Scottish experts, and there was a screening of The Angels’ Share, at which the Cockenzie ladies shook hands with the Prince.

Two fish-and-chip parties, at which Murray cooked in Casino Square, went down a treat.

“Prince Albert was first served and absolutely loved his fish and chips,” said Pamela.

“We were sitting next to Christian Garcia and his wife, and he said that it was absolutely wonderful and had never tasted anything like it.

“He turned out to be the palace chef!” she said, adding that she gave him her business card!

Pamela’s great grandfather founded the fishmonger’s at Cockenzie in 1921, and it has since passed down the generations.

Pamela told the Courier: “Everybody kept saying it was quite surreal sitting outside with Prince Albert, who was sitting there with a cardboard box, and the staff wanted to put his food on a plate and he kept saying no!

“And there were all these Lamborghinis and Ferraris in Casino Square with this fish and chip van!” One fellow county resident who could not resist a mouthwatering takeaway was ex-Monaco, Celtic and Scotland football star John Collins.

A gala dinner with bagpipes and a Scottish band was the showpiece event, attended by Prince Albert and his wife Princess Charlene, at the Hotel Hermitage.

Among the dignatories, millionaires and billionaires was Scottish Formula 1 racing legend David Coulthard, sitting two tables away from Pamela and Marion.