<\/p>\n
Grant Harrold knows a thing or two about royal protocol.<\/p>\n
The etiquette expert was King Charles III\u2019s butler from 2004 to 2011. He recently wrote a memoir, \u201cThe Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service,\u201d<\/a> which details his experience serving the senior royals.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of people assume that when you meet the royal family, you\u2019re supposed to bow or curtsy,\u201d Harrold told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n QUEEN ELIZABETH ONCE HID BEHIND BUSH TO AVOID \u2018GHASTLY\u2019 GUEST DURING AWKWARD STATE VISIT: EXPERT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t. The monarchy\u2019s website states it isn\u2019t required \u2014 it\u2019s entirely a personal choice. The king even had a discussion with me about it. He said, \u2018When you bow or curtsy, you\u2019re doing it to the title. You\u2019re not doing it to the person.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Harrold noted that when meeting royals for the first time, etiquette calls for letting them lead the way.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you meet them, you should let them lead the handshake and the conversation,\u201d he explained. \u201cSome people get so nervous, saying, \u2018I don\u2019t know what to talk to them about. I don\u2019t know what to say. I don\u2019t know what to do.\u2019 I remind people \u2014 let them guide it. They don\u2019t ask tricky questions. They keep it lighthearted and easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Even at lavish state banquets, Harrold said the royals prefer to keep things simple.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat might surprise people is that when they sit down at these elaborate royal tables, with all the cutlery and glassware, they think that\u2019s the main challenge. What really matters is the conversation,\u201d Harrold said. \u201cThe king will talk to the guest on his right during the main course, then switch to the guest on his left for pudding and coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat causes a chain reaction,\u201d Harrold said. \u201cEveryone has someone to talk to. You don\u2019t talk or shout across the table \u2014 you only speak to the person next to you. But it starts with the king<\/a>, and because the table is set with even numbers, everyone is paired. It\u2019s quite a funny old rule.\u201d<\/p>\n WATCH: KING CHARLES\u2019 EX-BUTLER BREAKS DOWN THE REAL RULES OF ROYAL ETIQUETTE<\/strong><\/p>\n While some royal rules have endured, others have been abandoned.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t start eating until the king begins, and when he finishes, the plates are taken away,\u201d Harrold said. \u201cThese are very old etiquette rules. One rule that no longer exists is walking backwards \u2014 you don\u2019t have to do that anymore. Now, when leaving their presence, you can simply turn and walk away.\u201d<\/p>\n British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that some fashion rules for women<\/a> have relaxed over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cContrary to popular belief, it is no longer mandatory royal protocol for women to wear tights,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe late Queen Elizabeth II preferred women in nude tights, believing it gave a polished look. These days, it\u2019s a personal choice. Princess Diana often avoided tights, using tanning oil instead. Since the queen\u2019s passing, we\u2019ve seen Princess Kate embrace more power trouser suits \u2014 something Elizabeth wasn\u2019t keen on during her reign.\u201d<\/p>\n But one fashion rule remains in place, Chard said.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cPrincess Kate endured several fashion mishaps<\/a>, including skirts flying up in true Marilyn Monroe style,\u201d Chard said. \u201cQueen Elizabeth introduced her to a secret weapon \u2014 curtain weights sewn into the hems of her outfits. They kept clothes hanging properly, and she hasn\u2019t suffered any more embarrassing Marilyn moments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile wearing lipstick, royals must always sip from the same spot on a glass to avoid smudges,\u201d said British royals expert Hilary Fordwich<\/a>. \u201cHandbags are carried on the left, following the queen\u2019s tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital there was a good reason for the late queen\u2019s handbag habit<\/a>: she used it to give secret signals during public outings.<\/p>\n \u201cMoving it from one hand to the other signaled she was bored and ready to move on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just the women who follow fashion rules.<\/p>\n \u201cBoys in the royal family still wear shorts exclusively,\u201d said royal commentator Amanda Matta. \u201cThey don\u2019t wear long trousers until about age 8, a tradition tied to class and fashion history.\u201d<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Fordwich said her favorite \u201croyal rule\u201d involves using specific words to remain prim and proper.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is vocabulary etiquette,\u201d Fordwich said. \u201cRoyals never say \u2018toilet\u2019 \u2014 it\u2019s \u2018lavatory\u2019 or \u2018loo.\u2019 Never \u2018perfume\u2019 \u2014 it\u2019s \u2018scent.\u2019 And never \u2018dessert,\u2019 but always \u2018pudding.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Some royal experts admitted that certain rules could use a modern update.<\/p>\n \u201cOne tradition I think is ready for change is the royal family being \u2018weighed in\u2019 before and after Christmas dinner,\u201d Matta said. \u201cIt reportedly originated with King Edward VII, who wanted to ensure family members were enjoying the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n Chard added that guests were once expected to gain three to five pounds over the holidays to show they were enjoying their meals.<\/p>\n One dish you won\u2019t see on the royal menu is shellfish.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s off the menu,\u201d Chard said. \u201cShellfish poisoning can wipe you out for days \u2014 not much fun when you have a grueling schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n Darren McGrady, a royal chef for 15 years who also cooked for five U.S. presidents, previously told Fox News Digital that guests can expect plenty of etiquette rules during a state banquet.<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t take a banana off the tray and peel it like a monkey,\u201d McGrady said. \u201cYou slice it into rings and eat it with a fork. With pears, you cut off the top and use a teaspoon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrapes are the easiest option because they\u2019re served in small bunches. Pineapples may look whole on the table, but they\u2019ve already been sliced \u2014 lift the top, and you\u2019ll find rings with the centers removed. And if things get messy, finger bowls with warm water are provided to clean your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember one state banquet where guests thought it was tradition to drink from the finger bowl,\u201d McGrady said. \u201cNobody corrected them \u2014 at a state banquet, you just get on with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that while the royals cherish tradition, they have relaxed on one strict rule.<\/p>\n PRINCE PHILIP\u2019S NOTORIOUS STRAIGHT TALK AND UNFILTERED OPINIONS WERE FEARED BY PALACE STAFF: ROYAL BUTLER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTouching Queen Elizabeth was once a sensitive protocol issue,\u201d Fitzwilliams explained. \u201cPaul Keating, then the Australian prime minister, infamously put his arm around the queen in 1992, sparking fierce criticism and earning him the nickname \u2018The Lizard of Oz.\u2019 But when Michelle Obama put her arm<\/a> around the queen\u2019s shoulder in 2009 \u2014 and the queen reciprocated \u2014 they got on famously.\u201d<\/p>\n Today\u2019s royals continue to shed some of the old stiffness \u2014 a trend likely to grow, Fitzwilliams said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe king, as many have noticed, can be quite touchy-feely,\u201d Fitzwilliams said. \u201cRoyal habits on selfies have also eased \u2014 they\u2019re still discouraged, but exceptions are sometimes made.\u201d<\/p>\n