Place Settings Fit for King

His Majesty’s cover for dinner at the French Embassy, including an ashtray— “Right in front was the first wine glass, on which His Majesty’s place card was laid—so he would not have to bend over to read it. Other glasses were two more for white wine, one for red wine, and another, in the center, for the Romanee Conti, famed Burgundy vintage, of which 200 bottles were sent from Paris especially for this dinner.”

— Photo, Etiquipedia’s private library

This Table, Set For The King, 

Starts U. S. Experts Talking

Etiquette authorities, trying to determine how tables should be set tot wining and and dining royalty when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit the United States in June, are interested in this picture. It shows the cover set for His Majesty at a dinner given recently in the French embassy in London. Its especial interest is that it isn’t exactly what American authorities had in mind. The glasses, the turned-down silver and an ash tray caused most comment. Eyebrows weren’t raised at the number of glasses—but at their placing. 

It’s an old American custom to put glasses above and to the right of the knife—not above the service plate. At the dinner given by President M. Lebrun of France, and Mme. Lebrun, however, the water goblet was placed to the left front, near the entrée fork. Behind it came the champagne glass. Right in front was the first wine glass, on which His Majesty’s place card was laid—so he would not have to bend over to read it. Other glasses were two more for white wine, one for red wine, and another, in the center, for the Romanee Conti, famed Burgundy vintage, of which 200 bottles were sent from Paris especially for this dinner. 

The turned-down silver was a surprise in this country. Never, said one authority, is silver turned down. Glasses, perhaps—they might collect a little dust. A waiter will turn them up before serving starts. But the choicely-patterned silver? It can’t happen here. The ash tray is pointed out somewhat gleefully. It’s a long-needed concession to smokers, one authority explains. He points out that until a few years ago, ash trays would have appeared only at the end of the meal. — By Joan Durham, AP Feature Service Writer, 1939

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia 

Serving Soup and Etiquette Advice

When soup is served as the first course, the soup spoon will be the first utensil on the far right of the place setting. If soup is to be the second course, a small utensil (appetizer fork, caviar spoon or spreader, individual asparagus tongs) for the first course will usually be located to the right of the soup spoon. At an informal lunch setting, soup may be served and eaten alongside another type of food, like a salad or a sandwich. 

A Kindhearted Waiter – Helpful? 

Or giving unsolicited advice? 

Etiquipedia says he was trying to be helpful, and she most gracious.

A surprising experience was that of a lady who received a bit of advice on table etiquette. She is sufficiently free from vanity to tell the story herself. She says: I know that I am not a person of impressive appearance. I am inclined to be short and stout and to dress plainly. Still, I had hoped that I had an air of acquaintance with polite society. But now I shall be more modest than ever in my idea of the impression I make upon strangers. 

At my first meal at the hotel where I passed last summer, I was pleased with the face of my waiter, it was radiant with kindliness and good nature. I began my dinner with soup and fish. As the waiter set them in front of me, he glanced at the persons of fashionable appearance who were my neighbors at table. His kind heart was suddenly struck with the fear that I might make an unfortunate impression on them. He bent down and whispered in my ear: “Eat your soup first.” – Press Democrat, 1909

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia 

Table Silver Etiquette

Flatware choices, whether in sterling silver, silver plate or stainless, reflect and is an extension of one’s personality. Above is a place setting using an eclectic “Hotel Pattern” flatware set, made up from the most popular patterns from Europe’s grand hotels in the early 1900’s. 

Every home, no matter how modest or how young, can enjoy the luxury and warmth of silver sparkling and glowing every room, making every occasion come alive with its brilliance, and treating every guest with distinction. That's the vision everyone has of entertaining in their dream home. 

The important facts about choosing silver for entertaining are:

• What silver is perfect for the ones who’ll be using it, why, and how one can discover it among the wide and varied selection of the finest silver crafted today or antiques from yesterday. 
• A silver pattern is an extension of one’s personality and all the things he or she favors. Properly chosen, it will remain dear, and grow dearer, with time and use. It will be the focal point of the table-setting and it can be added to as needs demand. 
• Sterling flatware, because of its long lasting beauty and years of practical service, is an acquisition for one’s home, and a personal gift that’s beyond price. Its heirloom potential is a built-in plus, the extraordinary gift that comes with sterling flatware besides its unfailing everyday usefulness.  “The Southern Belle Primer, Or why Princess Margaret will never be a Kappa Kappa Gamma” is by Maryln Schwartz. A highlight of the book is the silver zodiac and the 12 sterling silver patterns most chosen by “Southern Belles” Projecting into one’s future, eight place settings are the usual requirement for a family. Twelve place settings will be the ultimate goal. 

A place setting may have six, five, four or three pieces:

• The three-piece place setting is one’s usual, delightful introduction to one’s very own silver and has a place knife, fork and spoon. 
• Four-piece place settings add a salad fork. 
• The five-piece place setting has knife, fork, salad fork, soup spoon and teaspoon. 
• The standard place setting has six pieces: knife, fork, salad fork, soup spoon, teaspoon and butter spreader. 
• Every host or hostess should know that place settings have their own distinctive way of gracing a table. Their etiquette is concerned with making the diner more comfortable and at his ease: and that should be the cardinal rule of every table one sets. 

Simply done: 

• Silver is arranged in the order of its use, with the pieces to be used first, farthest from the plate. 
• All forks, except cocktail forks, belong on the left. The cocktail fork goes on the right, always. 
• All knives belong on the right, too except the butter spreader and along with the knives, all spoons to be used, with the exception of the dessert spoons. 
• Dessert silver is brought to the table with dessert. Spoons for tea or coffee are placed on the saucer with the cup and brought to table with the cup and saucer. 
• The entire place setting is arranged about an inch from the edge of the table, both for comfort and appearance sake. 

– Adapted from an article in the San Bernardino Sun, 1971

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia 

Victorian Dining Etiquette Changes

With regard to forks: “There were some practical limits. Clearly if the hostess put out the 8 or 10 forks one would use at a formal meal, the diners would be too spread out to comfortably talk to each other. Convention quickly settled on 3 or 4 forks as the maximum number the hostess could put out so guests could still talk easily to their neighbors.”

Victorian Era Dining and 3 Forks on the Left 

The change over (from Service à la Française) to Service à la Russe caused the established ways of serving and eating meals to undergo a major modification.

In the colonial period the only silver on the table was a knife, a fork, and perhaps a spoon. Part of the reason for this was that the tablecloth was removed after every course. To have a lot of silver and many glasses on the table would have made the removal of the tablecloth too hard. 

When the change to service a la Russe took place in the 1860s and 1870s, the tablecloth stayed in place throughout the entire meal. In addition, the servants were busy carving and serving food. It now made sense to put out all the silver the diner would need and leave it there throughout the entire meal. The footman had other things to do and less time to hand out silverware. In addition, the mechanization in the production of silverware, together with a drop in the price of silver, meant that the host now acquired more silverware. 

There were some practical limits. Clearly if the hostess put out the 8 or 10 forks one would use at a formal meal, the diners would be too spread out to comfortably talk to each other. Convention quickly settled on 3 or 4 forks as the maximum number the hostess could put out so guests could still talk easily to their neighbors. 

A rare Chantilly pattern "bird" or "game" knife and fork set. These were also sometimes known as "duck knives and forks" and were the predecessors to the steak knives of today.

For some twenty years after the Civil War there was disagreement about whether 3 or 4 forks were proper. In the end 3 forks won out-- perhaps because the game course became less common. But, because this was a change and an arbitrary number, it was necessary to keep reminding people that they should never put out more than 3 forks at a table setting. We personally like the look of 4 forks and knives it creates an exotic and opulent look, and visually sends the cue that this meal will be something a little different. – From Forgotton Elegance

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia