Becoming part of a new family after marrying your spouse can be daunting for anyone, but likely not as nerve-wracking as joining the ranks of the royal family. Kate Middleton learned that when she became the Duchess of Cambridge after marrying Prince William back in 2011.
On top of all the protocols, rituals, and rules that go along with the lavish ceremony, she also had to quickly pick up on the proper vocabulary for her new lofty title. Kate Fox, social anthropologist and author, revealed just how tricky it can be to learn the correct terminology in her book,Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behavior.
Ican’t imagine being told I couldn’t say something as simple as “toilet” or “patio,” but I guess it’s a small price to payfor becoming royalty!And you can’t denythat the pet names the royal family sticks to for their parents arepretty darn adorable.
Did you realize there were this many restrictions on the words royal family members shouldn’t be saying?
Let us know in the comments which one shocked you the most and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
[H/T: Daily Mail]
1. “Pardon”
Although this sounds like the fancier option for asking someone to repeat themselves when you’ve missed something they said, the author of Watching the Englishexplains that itsFrench origins make it non-royal friendly.
Instead, Kate would be expected to say, “sorry,” or “what” or combine the two for, “sorry, what?”
2. “Mum/Dad”
The royal family apparently never loses affection for parents, always referring to them as “mummy” and “daddy” even well into adulthood.
3. “Posh”
If you ever hear Kate calling someone “posh,” it’s only in a tongue-and-cheek joking way.When describing someone who’s super classy and upperclass, she would say “smart.”
4. “Toilet”
Again, the French origins of this word make it a no-no, so they say “loo” or “lavatory” instead. However, while Kate was still just dating William, there were rumors of her mother making the grave mistake of saying the banned word around the Queen.
5. “Perfume”
If Kate splashes herself with a fragrance, she refers to it as a “scent,” again likely due to the French origins of the term.
6. “Portions”
According to the author, whether dining at a fancy banquet like the one above or sitting at home with just William, George, and Charlotte, Kate wouldask for an extra “helping”if she was still feeling peckish.
7. “Tea”
InEngland, amiddle class family might sit down for “tea,” meaninganafternoon snack or a full meal like what we would call dinner.
The royal family, however, only uses the term torefer to the hot beverage and “dinners” are strictly events thatrequire fancy invitations. The book explains that the evening meal is usually called “supper.”
8. “Lounge”
We would call this a living room, but Kate enjoys relaxing in her family’s “drawing room” or “sitting room,” instead.
9. “Patio”
According to Watching the English, Princess Beatrice, shown above,might try to find Kate on the “terrace” at this garden party rather than the “patio.”
10. “Sweet”
If the Duchess was craving a confection after dinner, she would ask for “pudding” instead of a “sweet” or “dessert.”
Did we miss any strange vocabulary restrictions you’ve heard from the royal family? Let us know below and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
Read more: https://www.littlethings.com/things-kate-cant-say/
