"Eat your greens!"
"Wash your hands before eating."
"No gadgets while on the table."
Those are some of the mealtime rules you have probably heard and abide by while sharing a meal with the family. However, when it comes to rules, nothing is more stringent than the Royal household.
From the way you dress to the way you sit, there is the proper protocol for everything, especially during mealtime.
1. Entering the room in order
Entering and being seated in the order of precedence is an essential part of every Royal dinner party. The order starts with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, followed by Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, then Prince William and Kate Middleton, and so on.
2. Proper napkin folding
According to Delish, the Royals have a specific way of folding their napkins. The napkins are folded in half, and when needed, they use the part inside the fold to wipe their faces clean of food.
3. Abide by the dress code
Most Royal dinners are formal affairs, which means that women should wear dresses and stockings, and men are required to wear trousers and coats.
4. Handle the teacup with care
According to Taste of Home, there is a proper way of holding a teacup like how the Royals do it. You need to place your thumb and pointer finger on top of the handle and use your middle finger to support the handle's bottom.
5. Signaling when you are done or not yet
The fork and knife handles are laid across the plate with the handles pointed to the bottom right to signal the waitstaff that you are done. Meanwhile, to let them know you are not done yet, cross the fork and knife over the plate.
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6. The menu needs to be approved by the Queen
One of the things the Queen is hands-on with is the menu. According to Marie Claire, former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed that a menu book is sent to the Queen for her to choose the dishes she wanted.
7. Hold the utensils correctly
The proper way of holding utensils should always be observed. Knives are held with the right hand and forks in their left with the tines facing down.
Stabbing food with the fork is unacceptable. They simply balance food on the back of their forks, then bring it to their mouth.
8. Controlled conversations
The Queen is the one who facilitates the conversation. During the first course of the meal, she engages with the guests on her right. She then switches to the guest of her left for the next course of the meal.
9. Sit like a Royal
Sitting like a Royal requires you to keep the legs and knees together. A famous pose associated with the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and the late Princess Diana was called the "duchess slant." The knees and ankles are kept together tightly while slanting the legs to the side.
10. Mealtime is done when the Queen stops eating
The Queen gets to set the pace at every meal. The moment she takes her last bite and puts down her fork, everyone else has to follow her lead.
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