Royal Dining Etiquette

[ashelen]

I just was looking at this photo and I notice that the cuttlery is upside down at least for me:
4.jpg (image)
I always thought that in a formal dinner the forks would do the other way that there are in the photo, is anybody out there know about royal table settings and manners?
anyone has photos of formal table settings, specially royal tables? is any difference between countries for setting a table royal or not??
how we can set a nice table, very formal like the royals do and any other information related with this?
I know that between courses there are a person who pass a bowl with rose petals water to wash your hands, but i do not know if this is still in use or not, may be soembody out there can tell us more .
for the moderators , please if i put this in the wrong forum move it where should to go, thank you

[DuedePhiladelphia]

Originally Posted by ashelen

I just was looking at this photo and I notice that the cuttlery is upside down at least for me:
4.jpg (image)
I always thought that in a formal dinner the forks would do the other way that there are in the photo, is anybody out there know about royal table settings and manners?
anyone has photos of formal table settings, specially royal tables? is any difference between countries for setting a table royal or not??
how we can set a nice table, very formal like the royals do and any other information related with this?
I know that between courses there are a person who pass a bowl with rose petals water to wash your hands, but i do not know if this is still in use or not, may be soembody out there can tell us more .
for the moderators , please if i put this in the wrong forum move it where should to go, thank you

Funny that u created this thread. I was looking at the Palace of Monaco thread and I saw a table setting wear the forks placed like the imge you have posted, maybe its an european custom

[ashelen]

I am not sure if it is an european costume I lived in Europe for 10 years and i never saw that before, maybe somebody from the forum can help. i wonder if it is a royal way to set the tables?

[RoyalProtocol]

This is bizzare, in the UK it would be considered wrong to do it as above, the prongs should always face up.

I've seen the table laid at Buckingham Palace and the prongs face up as in everyday life.

It is perhaps a European thing????

[ashelen]

Thank you for your comment about in the UK, when I was living there i was so interested in ettiquett and manners that I used to go to the library and get some books aobut it but like you said I always saw it with the prongs face up an I never saw it like the photo I posed here I wonder if this is just a royal thing?

[Austria]

When one puts the knives, forks, spoons, etc., upside down, that's the French formal style. Regards.

[Sarrie]

The cutlery, is placed like that, mainly that the fork is facing down is due to the cutlery either being french or being designed to face like that. In various french etiquette books it's written down that a fork facing upwards gives an aggressive look to the table. Thus some companies prefer designed the fork at the back in order for it to be placed facing down.

[ashelen]

thank you so much!!!!!! for the imput! so it is a french tradition, I presume, Henrik being French he may be brought the style to Denmark? So in France if you put a formal table you do that! I lived in France and I never saw that! very interesting!!!!All the other Royal houses do the same?

[DuedePhiladelphia]

Originally Posted by ashelen

thank you so much!!!!!! for the imput! so it is a french tradition, I presume, Henrik being French he may be brought the style to Denmark? So in France if you put a formal table you do that! I lived in France and I never saw that! very interesting!!!!All the other Royal houses do the same?

hence, my Monaco observation

[Warren]

From this website

Silverware Placement

• In French table setting, eating utnsils, or les couverts, are placed in the order in which you will be using them. The utensils furthest from the plate are the ones you will use first.
• The forks are placed to the left of the plate (doesn't that irritate all of you right-handed people?) either with the tines pointing down, called à la française - French style, or with the tines pointing up, à l'anglaise - English style.
• The knife, or possibly knives, are placed to the right of the plate with the cutting surfaces pointing towards the plate.
• The spoon, once again placed either face down or up, depending if you want to do it French or English style, is placed to the right of the knife.

[lilytornado]

Originally Posted by Warren

The forks are placed to the left of the plate (doesn't that irritate all of you right-handed people?)

No, it doesn't, because we eat with the fork in our left hand and the knife in our right hand.
One just gets used to it

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by lilytornado

No, it doesn't, because we eat with the fork in our left hand and the knife in our right hand.
One just gets used to it

what you men the formal way to eat is with the fork in the left hand?

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by Warren

From this website

Silverware Placement

• In French table setting, eating utnsils, or les couverts, are placed in the order in which you will be using them. The utensils furthest from the plate are the ones you will use first.
• The forks are placed to the left of the plate (doesn't that irritate all of you right-handed people?) either with the tines pointing down, called à la française - French style, or with the tines pointing up, à l'anglaise - English style.
• The knife, or possibly knives, are placed to the right of the plate with the cutting surfaces pointing towards the plate.
• The spoon, once again placed either face down or up, depending if you want to do it French or English style, is placed to the right of the knife.

Thank you so much I just read the websie, very well explain! I wonder if the other roayls houses from the other countries follow too the french style?

[ashelen]

YouTube - Formal Table Setting - Cat Cora for Cooking.com

i found this in you tube , but it is american table settings, i di not find any european, sorry.

[Austria]

Originally Posted by ashelen

what you men the formal way to eat is with the fork in the left hand?

No matter which hand is dominant and comfortable for you to write with, when eating, one uses the left hand for the forks and the right hand for the knives. Right handed people, when they need to use their knife, place their fork in their left hand and pick up their knife in their right hand to cut. Some people call that crossing over. They cross over their fork from their right hand into their left hand. Traditionally, one cuts one piece of meat at a time; puts the knife down at the top of one's plate each time the cut is finished (the cutting edge facing the user); place the fork back into one's right hand to eat the piece of meat. They do this for every cut. Hope that wasn't too confusing.

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by Austria

No matter which hand is dominant and comfortable for you to write with, when eating, one uses the left hand for the forks and the right hand for the knives. Right handed people, when they need to use their knife, place their fork in their left hand and pick up their knife in their right hand to cut. Some people call that crossing over. They cross over their fork from their right hand into their left hand. Traditionally, one cuts one piece of meat at a time; puts the knife down at the top of one's plate each time the cut is finished (the cutting edge facing the user); place the fork back into one's right hand to eat the piece of meat. They do this for every cut. Hope that wasn't too confusing.

Thank you Austria, this is what I normally do but Lilitornado confuse me when she said we keep the falk in the left hand! I suppose everycountry has different ways of table manners and etiquette, just since I saw that Photo of Prince Hnerik and Princess Mary with the setting upside down to me I was very surprise and I start to think, what it is the royal way, I have some formal dinners at my home during the year, and I like to try the ultimate of fromal table settings , normally the guests are very impressed! so now I wanted to know the royal one to do it at home for my next guests!

[lilytornado]

Originally Posted by Austria

No matter which hand is dominant and comfortable for you to write with, when eating, one uses the left hand for the forks and the right hand for the knives. Right handed people, when they need to use their knife, place their fork in their left hand and pick up their knife in their right hand to cut. Some people call that crossing over. They cross over their fork from their right hand into their left hand. Traditionally, one cuts one piece of meat at a time; puts the knife down at the top of one's plate each time the cut is finished (the cutting edge facing the user); place the fork back into one's right hand to eat the piece of meat. They do this for every cut. Hope that wasn't too confusing.

Yes, this is the American style, but in Europe there is no crossing over - you keep the fork in the left hand all the time and the knife in the right hand all the time.
Actually this is a good way to distinguish Americans and Europeans if you watch them eating (only if they know some manners though LOL)

Edit: I found this about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_etiquette

[iowabelle]

As an American I have to admit the way we handle our knives and forks is rather awkward. But I think I'm too old to change, not that I'd need to but if I wanted to.

[ashelen]

lilytornado, thank you so much for the link and your explanation , certenly we learn things everyday! I know that in denmark today they sell small roses to decorate all over the table , very nice, a friend brought me a nice big box to decorate the table and of course the famous danish candles! i love a table with candles! so romantic! I think even if we are not royals it is nice every so often to set a nice formal dinner and we can learn o copy a little bit from the photos of the royals event we see pity they do not take more photos where we can see, I can not find it now but I remeber in on of the dutch events they have some decorations on the table with a gold crown center pieces, may be it was not real gold but it look very nice with beautiful arrangments of flowers!

[RubyPrincess168]

Originally Posted by iowabelle

As an American I have to admit the way we handle our knives and forks is rather awkward. But I think I'm too old to change, not that I'd need to but if I wanted to.

I tend to cut everything at once to avoid the awkward crossover thing.