Unusual Royal Traditions And Practices

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by JR76

When hosting dinners for foreign dignitaries the Swedish Court put discreet placemats in the same fabric and colour as the tablecloth at the seats of the hosts and the guests of honour if they are commoners. Why you may ask? The reason is that according to old court traditions a royal should never share a tablecloth with a commoner so this is a way to get around this.

How is it determined with foreign dignitaries which are commoners and which are not? It may be a fairly simple matter with dignitaries from other European countries, but I imagine the class distinctions in some African or Asian societies will not correspond to the European concepts of commoner and nobility.

[Countessmeout]

Originally Posted by Denville

was htat what poor George Bush ate that made him very publicly ill?

No, the incident where George Bush threw up in the lap of the prime minister of Japan was never linked to Puffer fish. He just had an upset stomach.

Puffer fish are extremely poisonous if prepared the wrong way. If George Bush had ingested bad puffer fish, by the time he was vomiting, he would have been suffering severe other symptoms, possibly even paralysis.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by JR76

When hosting dinners for foreign dignitaries the Swedish Court put discreet placemats in the same fabric and colour as the tablecloth at the seats of the hosts and the guests of honour if they are commoners. Why you may ask? The reason is that according to old court traditions a royal should never share a tablecloth with a commoner so this is a way to get around this.

I would just hope that they don't stick to that rule at home as well because in that case Chris will always need his own tablecloth as the only commoner in the king's family (unless the little princes and princesses are now also considered commoners as they lost their HRH).