16 Rules of Royal Etiquette That Were Followed or Broken in the Movie “Spencer”

That Princess Diana was loved by everyone and is still a world reference for beauty, style and delicacy, almost everyone already knows. However, in the cinematographic work Spencer, directed by Pablo Larraín, what was shown to the public was not a literal biography of Lady Di🇧🇷 What he decided to portray was a hypothetical, and poetic, version of what may have happened at one of the last Christmas festivities at the Queen’s estate, Sandringham, with members of the royal family.

We, from awesome.club, we love to entertain you with fun facts about the life and routine of famous people. Therefore, we decided to show 16 moments in which the film, which has Princess Diana and the British Royal Family as its theme, was faithful (or not so) to the almost endless list of rules that royalty must follow.

At the beginning of the film, Diana arrives at Sandringham Castle, sees her children, and then a house servant asks her to sit on a scale. She hesitates, but immediately follows the man’s instructions.

Truth: Although it only looks like a scene from a movie, this type of scale has existed and been used in the royal household during the Christmas festivities for a long time. The idea was instituted in the reign of King Edward VII and everyone who participates should be weighed before and after the parties. Gaining weight, for him, would be a guarantee that everyone had eaten well and had fun.

Diana appears, even at the beginning of the film, driving a car and with no security around. She is asked by an employee why she is alone. The Princess says that she was handing out gifts and decided to drive off without notifying the servants who accompanied her.

Partial truth: They have private drivers, but they can drive alone, as long as they have bodyguards. These security guards always have to be by their side, a benefit that the royal family makes available. Princess Diana, for example, was always escorted, but she requested that these employees be removed after the divorce.

In some scenes in the film, Diana sits with her legs together, and at other times, she crosses her legs at the knees like most of us do.

Truth: According to the rules, Royal women cannot, under any circumstances, cross their legs at the knees. When seated, the legs should be together, side by side, and may be bent or, at most, crossed at the ankles. According to royal etiquette expert Myka Meier, this is one of the biggest etiquette mistakes a lady can make. However, the cross position has become common with the new generation.

In the film, Diana was almost always late for events involving the royal family. The British have a tradition of avoiding delays. But in the film she arrives late in the car, then she is also late for some meals and for the family photo, with that the order is broken.

Partial truth: When to real family participates in state and diplomatic events, everyone enters and sits in the order referring to the line of succession to the throne. Currently it would be: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince of Wales (Charles) and Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla), Prince of Cambridge (William) and Duchess (Kate Middleton) and so on. In more intimate occasions this can be left aside.

In the film, there is a conversation between Diana and her children, they try to understand why they cannot open presents on December 25th like all the other children. Willian even jokes, saying that Santa Claus brings the best toys for the princes.

Truth: Children, and all other members of the Royal Family, are allowed to open presents after afternoon tea on Christmas Eve. This comes from the Windsors’ Germanic heritage.

In the film, Diana sometimes appears wearing, or just trying on, clothes of this color. But is it really that black is a color they only allow themselves to wear at funerals?

Partial truth: While everyone is somewhat discouraged from wearing such a color, the black rule is actually a little different. It is very important that the suitcases have at least one black outfit and it is justifiable. This must happen so that they can show up to a last-minute funeral, properly dressed, should the need arise. But the rule seems to be quite flexible, so much so that Diana occasionally wore the color to evening events.

In some meals in the plot, everyone was at the table and only started eating after the Queen put the first spoonful in her mouth. She even waited for Diana to arrive at dinner to start ordering the meal for everyone.

Truth: This is one of the many rules that everyone, without exception, must follow when participating in an evening meal with Her Majesty. With that, everyone is ready and, as soon as it starts, the people at the table can start eating. Likewise, when she leaves the silverware on the table, it’s time to stop. Women who wear lipstick should also always drink from the same side of the glass or bowl, to avoid marking the utensil more than necessary.

In the film, a hanger of clothes destined for Diana was shown, so that these could be used on feast days. In them, we could see labels that informed the day and time to use each of the outfits. However, many times the Princess insisted on wearing the clothes out of order as stated on the cards.

Inaccurate: Despite our incessant research, this idea seems to be more of a suggestion than a mandate. Members of the Royal Family participate in many events, so they have royal stylists who choose their clothes, evaluating the rules of etiquette and the need that each event asks for. So maybe they suggest you wear that outfit to a certain event for an important reason.

According to the film, the Christmas party pictured took place in 1991, when Harry was just 7 years old. In all the scenes where William and Harry appear, they are dressed in trousers and we can think how common this is, considering that in the UK it is cold most of the time. However, this was a major oversight on the part of Spencer’s production.

Truth: Knowing that it is the Royal Family’s pleasure to remain in traditions, we can see that all boys up to the age of 8, at least, wear only shorts, even if the temperatures are not so pleasant. According to Grant Harrold, an expert in the field, this is a tradition from the 16th century, a kind of veiled idea that wearing shorts shows that the child is an aristocrat.

In the cinematographic work, a religious Christmas ceremony is shown where the entire Royal Family and guests participate in a mass. Everything there seems very intimate, except for the presence of journalists at the exit.

Truth: Every year, exactly on the morning of Christmas Day, Her Majesty goes with her family and guests to a service in the church of St Mary Magdalene, which is located on the Sandringham estate. The building was built in 1500 and can also be used by ordinary people, eventually hosting celebrations closed to royalty.

In one scene, everyone is sitting in one of the rooms on the property, watching TV and the Queen appears speaking to the nation. It’s a taped pronouncement, considering she’s also in the room seeing everything.

Truth: Since 1952, the Queen has broadcast every year at Christmas, in which she comments on the year that is coming to an end and on projections for the future. However, this message only started being televised five years later, and the Royal Family always watches it together, as in the film, on Christmas Day.

In several scenes throughout the film, we see Diana and other royals wear tiaras and headdresses to events. However, we noticed that at times they don’t wear anything to cover their heads, except for the Queen, who even at home wears a scarf in her hair.

Truth: According to tradition, hats are worn by women of the Royal Family at formal events. Despite this, until the 1950s, the use of these accessories was quite common, as it was somehow inappropriate to show one’s hair in public. Tiaras can only be used by married women and only at night, the only exception to this rule is for brides who can wear a tiara on their wedding day at any time.

Rarely have the Princess and Queen’s fingernails been shown in the film with so much emphasis. But anyone who has carefully watched the film can see that they never wore brightly colored nails or false accessories.

Truth: Although this order was eventually broken by some Royals, this is an unofficial dress code that comes from the Queen herself. The idea is that a flashy nail color is not a good thing. Queen Elizabeth II, for example, often wears Essie’s “ballet slippers” nail polish shade.

Near the end of the film, we see Charles getting ready for a hunt, not forgetting the famous tea. In this scene, we can see the Prince holding with great delicacy and refinement the cup that he takes to his mouth and the saucer.

Truth: The right way to hold such a utensil is to squeeze the handle between your thumb and forefinger, with your middle finger supporting the base of the cup. There is a myth that one should extend the little finger, this is totally inappropriate in the Royal circle. If the tea drinker wears lipstick, the rule is always to mark the utensil in the same place.

Although they showed some meals, the focus of the film was really on the Princess, so little was explored about the right or wrong way to use cutlery and how to behave at the table with the presence of Royalty.

Truth: There is great importance when talking about how to behave when there is a meal with members of the Royal Family. People have marked places, knives always in their left hand and forks in their right without changing, they also have to balance the food on the back of the fork to take…