Queen Cutlery

No Clinking The Crystal And Other Royal Dining Etiquette

The way the Royal family dines is vastly different from what may be observed at a formal dinner in North America. 

Etiquette expert Pat Stonehouse gives the following the following etiquette advice  when dining at Buckingham Palace

1. Stand behind one’s chair and wait for the Queen to sit down before being seated.

2. Wait for the Queen to start eating. When the Queen stops eating, so does everyone else at the dinner.

3. The Royal family eats Continental style – not American style. The knife is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. Food is conveyed to the mouth with the fork held tines down in the left hand; the fork is not transferred to the right hand the way it is in North America. When finished, the knife and fork are placed parallel on the plate in the six o’clock position.  When resting the knife and fork are placed in an inverted v-shape.

4.  When not eating hands are placed at the edge of the table not on the lap.  Elbows are never placed on the table

5. Should one happen to drop something on the floor, pretend nothing has happened. Footmen will discretely attend to it.

6. Once seated, no one leaves the table until the Queen leaves. It is considered bad manners to leave the table and visit the lavatory during the meal.

6. Personal belongings such as cell phones and purses should not be placed on the table.

7. Looking for salt and pepper shakers? They won’t be found – instead, look for a salt cellar, which looks like a tiny bowl with a small spoon, and a pepper caster.  Taste your food first before you season it.

8. Don’t ask for things not directly within reach. One needs not ask to have anything passed when dining with the Royals. All food is served by footmen, and each guest’s place setting has its own individual salt cellar, pepper caster, mustard pot and butter dish.

9. Refrain from clinking glasses to have the newlyweds kiss, as the Queen wouldn’t appreciate having her exquisite crystal chipped.  When drinking and toasting hold the stemware by the stem.  You may have two champagne glasses on the table, one for the toasts and one for the pudding course.

10. What traditionally is called “dessert” is called “pudding” in England. After the pudding course comes the dessert course, which is the fruit course. At this time, each dinner guest is presented with a finger bowl on a gilt plate with a knife, fork and spoon. Guests are to lift and position the finger bowl and napkin to the left of their place setting and lay out their own cutlery for the fruit course. After the fruit is eaten, guests use the finger bowls.  Move the finger bowl to the center of your place setting and dip and dry each hand separately.

11.  The Queen signals dinner is over by placing her napkin to the left of the place setting Don’t place your napkin on the table until after she does.

About the Author

 

Pat Stonehouse is the founder of Advancing With Style, a corporate etiquette and image consulting firm with offices in Palm Beach, Florida and Toronto, Ontario. Since 1982, she has been advising executives and corporations in the development of their professional image, elevating their personal brand and strengthening their interpersonal communication skills.

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