All eyes are on the Platinum Jubilee celebrations to mark 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace is expected to host the festivities between June 2 and June 5, and just a few days before the occasion, we get a glimpse of how the royal dinners are held. one in Marie Claire ReportIn this article, royal etiquette expert William Hanson laid out some important protocols that should be followed when dining with the Queen. While we might not be able to enjoy an exquisite meal with the Queen herself, we can certainly add a touch of royalty to our dinner table with these etiquette lessons.
William Hanson reveals how everyone dining with the Queen should maintain decorum at the dinner table, which is both surprising and enlightening.
Here are 7 etiquette protocols of royal dinners:
1. How to Hold Cutlery
This is no surprise as almost all of us are well aware of it. Hanson told Marie Claire“Traditionally, cutlery is held with a knife in the right hand and a fork in the left, a rule that dates back to when men carried swords and daggers in their right hand.”
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The fork and knife must be held correctly.
2. Limit Noise from Dinnerware
One has to eat their food neatly without making any noise with their cutlery, plate or glass. Hanson said, “In Western formal dining, we don’t want any kind of noise—be it the unpleasant sound of chewing or fork and knife Scraping with an almost empty plate.”.
3. How to Signify You’ve Eaten the Food
“When a member of the royal family has finished eating, they put their cutlery together,” revealed Hanson. The correct way to go about it is to treat the cutlery as clockwise and set them on the plate at 6:30 with the fork tines facing up. Read more about it here.
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Place your cutlery on a plate to signal the end of your meal.
4. Drink tea from the same place
It is advisable to sip tea from the exact place where you started. Hanson declared, “The royals can’t swirl their cups while drinking, especially for those wearing lipstick.” This will help avoid lipstick stains all over the rim of the cup.
5. How to Hold the Cup
And yes, there is a certain way you should hold your cup too. “Members of the royal family usually teach their thumb and forefinger between the handle with their other fingers, following the shape of the handle for support,” Hanson explained.
6. Follow the Queen’s Signs
No one should start her meal until the queen starts eating and everyone should finish her meal at the same time until the queen has finished her meal. This is a formal courtesy shown to the Queen.
7. How to Use the Napkin
We can’t throw our napkins anywhere on the table, however, we like. Hanson explains, “Members of the Royal Family will place their napkin on their lap immediately after taking their seat, folding it in half and away from the crease. When they have finished eating, the napkin is placed in a neat pile. to the left of the setting.” We feel this is something that we all should follow no matter where we are eating.
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The napkin should be kept neatly on the edge after the meal.
Fancy a royal meal? Go with these royal dining conventions and enjoy a lavish affair.