Queen banned eight ‘common’ words to keep Royal Family from sounding ‘banal’
Aurora Bosotti
The Queen is known to be very strict in ensuring her family follows the cardinal diktats of royal tradition to a tee. In addition to rules on how to dress and behave, Her Majesty is also rumoured to have banned at least eight words from the vocabulary of the
Royal Family. Italian commentator Marina Viro told La Vita in Diretta: “At the royal court, you don’t mess around with words and if you do use the wrong one, it’s a big risk.
“For example, one could be marked as not up to the role, even if your name is Kate Middleton and to everyone you are already a queen.
“The spotlight of public opinion usually planted like radar on the most famous royal house in the world this time focuses on the eight words never to be pronounced at court.
“Woe to talk about couch – the royal settee is called a sofa – and living room. The royal room is called the sitting room, and the courtyard is simply called the terrace.”
Ms Viro continued: “In short, these words would be too banal, not very chic, unpronounceable at court.
“Posh is another banned word, and while its translation is elegant or chic, for English royalty it is not at all.
“Perfume is middle-class lexicon, like the too shortened dad. Speaking of smells, it’s better to talk about scent, the aristocratic fragrance.
“As for father, he should always be called without diminutives like a daddy.”
The royal commentator added: “And just so as not to be the same as others, even when mother nature has made us identical from the point of view of needs, those who go to the bathroom at court do not use the toilet, but the lavatory.
“We are not asking ourselves too much about the real difference between the two terms, one universal, the other reserved for the circle of his Majesty.”
While bans are more commons when it comes to how a royal should conduct during both privately and in public, Her Majesty’s restrictions also extend to the food realm.
Seafood is strictly forbidden when on official duties abroad to ensure no member of the royal party getting food poisoning however Prince Charles has been known to sometime contravening the rule.
Garlic is also an unlikely feature on the royal table as the bulb could cause some issues as the Queen talks to her guests at a royal banquet.
