Royalty now and then gets hard biscuits (8)

I believe the answer is:

oatcakes

'biscuits' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Scottish biscuits ' mean 'oatcakes' so perhaps 'biscuits' could also mean 'oatcakes')

'royalty now and then gets hard' is the wordplay.
'now and then' means one should take alternating letters (letters taken on a regular basis, now and then).
'gets hard' becomes 'cakes'.
The alternating letters of 'royalty' are 'oat'.
'oat'+'cakes'='OATCAKES'

(Another definition for oatcakes that I've seen is " Scottish biscuits".)

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