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13 rules you must follow when dining with the royal family

By FavorFlav | #!30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:000330#30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:00-7Europe\/Amsterdam3030Europe\/Amsterdam202630 27am30am-30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:007Europe\/Amsterdam3030Europe\/Amsterdam2026302026Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200307304amMonday=9#!30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:00Europe\/Amsterdam4#04-27-2026#!30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:000330#\/30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:00-7Europe\/Amsterdam3030Europe\/Amsterdam202630#!30Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:30:03 +0200+02:00Europe\/Amsterdam4#

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: 13 rules you must follow when dining with the royal family.

Are you really going very far in your life? And are you not the 13th guest on the guest list (because then you won't get in)? Then it might just be that you get to join the British royal family. Dining with Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate: we can see that happening.

At least, that's what we thought. Because with all the rules you have to follow, it won't be a very relaxed evening – especially with all the sleaze and dirt surrounding Harry and Meghan, the atmosphere isn't really optimal at the moment, we suspect. Besides that: don't think that ‘please, thank you’ and a white guest napkin on your lap are enough. These are 13 rules you must follow if you ever (because you never know) dine with members of the British royal family.

Wait your turn
And that means you will probably be the last to sit down. Access to the dining room depends on who is crowned next. That means King Charles goes in first, then Prince William, and so on. You can figure out your place in line yourself.

Do what the king does
No idea how to behave at the table? Just watch how the king behaves. Is he in a funny mood? Then you can make an appropriate joke. Is he speaking in a serious tone? Then you should be serious too. The same goes for your table manners. What the king does is your perfect how-to-behave-at-the-royal-family guide.

Don't eat garlic
The royal family hates garlic. It's quite logical when you consider that they have to talk to people from all over the world continuously, and garlic gives off a huge odor. You will never, ever eat this garlic soup with 3 cloves of garlic with King Charles.

Don't speak too loudly
‘HEY CHARLES, PASS ME THE SALT!’ Can you imagine? Charles and co can't either. You are expected to speak calmly and quietly when seated at the table. Not so strange perhaps, but what is remarkable is: you may only talk to the people on your left and right. The seating arrangement is very carefully thought out by the king and queen. If you are not sitting next to them, you can count on them not wanting to talk to you. Ouch.

Mind your manners
So eat with a knife and fork, even if you have ribs in front of you. The only exception is oysters, which Charles loves. Oh, and don't chew with your mouth open. A no-brainer (or mouth?) perhaps, but still good to remind yourself.

Fold your napkin and place it on your lap
This is not only neat but also ensures that you make as few stains as possible on your pants, skirt, or dress. If you've dabbed your mouth with the napkin, fold it so that the used part of the napkin is not visible. If there's anything the members of the royal family find disgusting, it's that. And one more thing: never put the napkin back on the table unless you are completely done eating. That's a signal for the footmen to clear the plates.

Wear formal attire
The dress code for the evening? Not casual. Formal and chic, that's what they want to see at the royal house. The trick is to go more overdressed than underdressed. So don't be too quick to think you're dressed too formally.

Use your cutlery correctly
We can all eat with a knife and fork. I hope. But wait, at the royal house, they do it differently. They never poke their fork into their food. Huh? How do they eat then? Well, they turn their fork over and slide the food onto it with a knife. On the rounded side, that is. Sounds complicated? It's not too bad. Until you have to eat peas.

Drink from one side of your glass
The royal family finds it horror if a glass has lip prints on it. So drink from one side of your glass to avoid this horror.

Don't raise your pinky when drinking tea
Movies like The Princess Diaries make us believe otherwise, but it is seen as extremely ridiculous if you raise your pinky while drinking tea. Even if you might feel the strong urge to do so, you better don’t.

Don't announce that you're going to the bathroom
We all need to go to the bathroom, even the members of the royal family. It's just not the intention that you let it be known when it's time. Just get up, excuse yourself, walk to the bathroom, and come back as if nothing happened.

Finished eating? Let it be known (the right way)
Don't shout at the table that you're stuffed to the brim. You can do that at home, but not when dining with the royal family. Instead, place your knife and fork on your plate, with the handles down, straight and together, from top to bottom. If you were to compare the plate to a clock, your cutlery should be at 6 o'clock.

Stop eating when the king is done eating
So even if you're only halfway through that delicious steak. When King Charles is done, you are too. Period. And that's not because he thinks he's so important, but because it's an age-old tradition that is not broken.