The idea of meeting a member of the royal family is a daunting one. With strict protocols in place and an emphasis on the correct etiquette, it’s hard to know what the right thing to say is – and, it turns out, there are some words best avoided if you are speaking to the Queen or Duchess Kate. Social anthropologist Kate Fox, author of Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour, has studied the linguistic quirks of the upper classes, and identified a list of verbal do's and don'ts when speaking to a royal. Let's take a look…
Kate Fox has identified some do's and don'ts when speaking to the British royals
1. 'Pardon'. As children, we were taught that 'pardon' was the politest response if we'd misheard someone. Not so in royal circles. Instead they will simply say 'sorry?' or 'what?' if they wish the speaker to repeat themselves.
2. 'Posh'. It's a word that most of us would use to describe the upper classes, but the royal themselves would never opt to say 'posh'. Instead, they would use the word 'smart'. According to Kate, 'posh' would only ever be used "ironically, in a jokey tone, to show that you know it's a low-class word".
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© Photo: Getty ImagesFemale members of the household, including the Queen and Kate, never wear perfume
3. 'Perfume'. Female members of the royal household, including the Queen, Kate and Duchess Camilla, never wear perfume. Instead they spritz on a favoured 'scent'.
4. 'Tea'. Never refer to your evening meal as 'tea'. At the palace, the royals sit down at the end of the day to their 'dinner' or 'supper'.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe royals retire to their 'sitting room' or 'drawing room' - not their 'lounge'
5. 'Lounge'. Buckingham Palace has a huge number of rooms – but you won't find a single 'lounge'. Instead, the Windsors relax in a 'sitting room' or a 'drawing room'. As a side note, 'sofa' is apparently the appropriate term for a 'settee' or a 'couch'.
6. 'Toilet'. The word 'toilet' is also never used. 'Lavatory' or 'loo' are the preferred terms. According to Kate, historically the royals avoided using 'toilet' because of its French origins.
7. 'Mum and Dad'. Different people have different names for their parents as they're growing up, but for the most part they become 'mum and dad' as we get older. Not so in the royal family. Prince Charles touchingly still refers to his mother the Queen as 'mummy', while it was revealed last year that little Prince George calls Prince William 'Pops' – adorable!
