You probably know that the British royal family must follow some pretty strict rules and traditions when dining in public: we previously told you about the foods the royal family is not allowed to eat and the general rules they must follow.

William Hanson, an etiquette expert on how royals eat, tells "Marie Claire" exactly why royals must follow these rules. [Traditionally, cutlery is held with the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left. This is a rule that dates back to the days when men held swords and daggers in their right hands," Hanson said on behalf of Coffee Friend (opens in new tab).

"Fortunately, we now know that this is a silly thing to do, and it is perfectly acceptable to switch cutlery (fork in right hand, knife in left). Even with the knife, the index finger should be extended under the knife, stopping where the blade meets the handle.

"Since much of the royal family's duties involve soft diplomacy over dinner, control over cutlery (and food) is an integral part of their toolbox.

"At a formal Western meal, you don't want to make any noise, whether it's the unpleasant sound of chewing or the scraping of forks and knives against a nearly empty plate," Hanson explains.

"It is not against protocol to make a noise with cutlery on a plate. Once or twice by accident is fine, but to continue to do so is particularly unfortunate." Well, that makes some sense.

"When members of the Royal Family finish their meal, they place their cutlery together," Hanson says. If you think of the plate as a clock face and the cutlery as the hands of a clock, then in England, when you finish your meal, the cutlery is placed in the 6:30 position, with the fork tip pointing up."

"The cutlery is placed together in the finished position to let the waiter (and other diners) know that you have finished eating, so that they can clear the plate without asking if you are finished."

So royals, "especially those who wear lipstick," cannot turn their cups when drinking, Hanson says. The reason is to avoid getting an extra ring of lipstick on the cup. But imagine being offended by that.

"Members of the royal family usually hold the teacup with their thumb and forefinger between the handles, while the other fingers follow the shape of the handles," Hanson explains.

"Sticking out the little finger when drinking tea or coffee is not sophisticated, contrary to popular belief." He said.

"Yes, when dining with Her Majesty the Queen, no one should begin until she has begun to eat. Likewise, once the queen's cutlery is in the finished position (as explained above), everyone else should follow suit, regardless of whether or not there is food left on their plates," Hanson explained.

But I am a slow eater. If I were invited to dine at Buckingham Palace, I would refuse. I don't want to leave that delicious food behind.

Of course, there is a procedure for using napkins. For the larger napkins," Hanson says, "the members of the Royal Family place the napkin in their lap shortly after they are seated and fold it in half so that the crease faces them. When they leave the table after the meal, the napkins are placed in a neat stack on the left side of the setting." There are many things to remember.

If you've ever thought royal dining still sounded like fun, this may change your mind. Says Hanson, "At formal meals, conversation flows to each person's left and right and seldom crosses the dining table."

"The Queen would often wait to see which way her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, would turn and follow suit." To be fair, that's very sweet.

The avid cook will now check: the use of garlic is forbidden on official occasions. Says Hanson, "This is common when planning royal menus at home or on the road." 'Likewise, the tricky dishes are not only to avoid awkward photos, but also to ensure that all guests are relaxed and not worried about how they should eat a particular dish.' It is not as if the queen's table is not provided with a Red Lobster bib.

Forget about attending family dinners in PJs. Says Hanson, "Members of the royal family spend their lives getting dressed to make sure they are appropriately attired for the occasion." The royal family's dressing style is not to follow trends, and while they may incorporate the year's trendy colors and patterns, they are to remain timeless and elegant."

"The royal family's dress code is to be as elegant as possible."

"The royal family's dress code is to be as elegant as possible.

"At official banquets, women wear long, floor-length dresses with shoulders covered and hair 'up'. Men wear black wool tails, a white ratio-tailored collared shirt, and a white bow tie."