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Who hasn’t dreamed of being a royal or living in a palace like Buckingham Palace? Let’s imagine we are invited to an official dinner with the Queen of England, do you already know what are the bon ton rules to follow? Here is everything you need to know about dining with Queen Elizabeth.
How to dine with Queen Elizabeth: the rules
The etiquette is, as we know, the set of behavioral rules that establishes how to behave in the different occasions of use. Put simply, it is the conventional norm that tells us what we can do and what not, especially in formal situations and contexts. Dinner with Queen Elizabeth is perhaps the highest occasion of this type, where specific behavioral rules and attitudes are expressly requested and demanded, worthy of the place and the person you are with.
Let’s see below how to behave in this context.
Never sit before the Queen
The first rule to follow and respect is “you cannot sit until the Queen has sat down”. All the diners, including members of the Royal family, they must remain standing until her Majesty has sat down, paying attention to her every gesture or behavior.
Never eat before her
If you have to remain standing until her Majesty has sat down, the same is true for eating.
You can start tasting a few bites only after the Queen has tasted her first one. But beware: this rule does not only apply to the beginning, it also applies to the end! In fact, if the Queen finishes eating, the other diners must also finish at the same time.
To go to the toilet
If one of the diners is urgent or in need to go to the toilet, they should not say so explicitly, but rather exclaim “I apologize”And get up accordingly. This is a more reserved and elegant way to declare that you are temporarily moving away from the table.
We can’t all talk together
Another rule to follow to the letter is not to talk all together. In fact at Buckingham Palace there is the usual rule that the Queen speaks to the person on his right during the first course and the one to his left during the second course. Likewise, the rest of the diners should too.
Never 13 people at the table
Finally, at a dinner with Queen Elizabeth there should never be 13 participants because, according to reasons of superstition, brings bad. The number of guests can in fact vary, also depending on the type of dinner, if it is more intimate or more formal.
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