Does Queen Elizabeth II eat chicken on the bone by picking it up with her hand?

Sujata Assomull attends a dining etiquette class organised by Maison Imperiale, following it up with one on floral arrangements, and discovers new trivia on table manners of the rich and the famous

I am a proud product of an English boarding school and was sent to Lucie Clayton Charm Academy (one of London's best-known finishing schools) soon after. So, before I was 18, I'd already attended my fair share of flower arranging, etiquette, deportment and grooming classes.
Of course, at that point, it seemed like a waste of time. I remember being taught what to do if an Earl, Duke or Lord came to dinner and it seemed irrelevant to my life. I lost interest at my first class at Lucie Clayton when I was told how it was inelegant to serve dinner family style, and pre-plated was the right way to do things; I decided that the whole etiquette thing was not for me - it was just too 'Anglo-Saxon' and rigid.
It's something I silently regretted later.
So a few weeks ago, when Faarah Mehta Shewakramani told me about her venture Maison Imperiale, my ears perked up. Faarah is a well-known name in media circles in both India and the UAE. She moved to the Middle East 14 years ago, and it was while she was working for a leading magazine in Dubai a few years ago that she and her father came up with the idea for an elective education academy for adults.
Maison Imperiale arrived in style recently with a series of pop-up masterclasses at the Members Club at Coya, Four Seasons Dubai. (Faarah prefers Maison Imperiale not be called a finishing school - though the classes are intense.) All sessions are addressed by a handpicked team (at the Art History class, guess who paid a surprise visit? Sacha Jafri, the contemporary artist whose works hang on the walls of Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Vivienne Westwood! He even created bespoke pieces for all 'students').
I decided to attend the Dining Etiquette and Gourmet Food Adventure class, taken by Dalia Dogmoch Soubra. Dalia is quite a melting pot: London-born, French-bred, New York-educated and one of Dubai's best-known celebrity chefs; she has her own YouTube channel and has appeared on TV shows alongside Jamie Oliver.
Within the first hour of Dalia's class, I'd compiled three pages of notes. Some of the etiquette did not make much sense to me (the principles of etiquette date back to the days of France's King Louis XIV and was the code you needed to adhere to be a part of his royal events); for instance, the fact you should never say "bon appétit" as a host before a meal is about to start, as it implies your guests have never eaten well; or that, as a guest, you should take a gift not on the day of a dinner party but before or after - especially if it's a bottle - as then the host feels compelled to open it.
But then, there were those that made plenty of sense. Dalia talked about how it is more about making an evening charming, than worrying about rules. "Sometimes we pay too much attention to the food," she said. "Think of the last dinner party you went to and enjoyed. It's more about the company, the welcome you receive and other details." Spot on! "If your host remembers a detail like you are gluten intolerant, or that you like a certain dish, that is what you remember." She suggested we should keep a notebook, and write everything own. (As someone who collects Smythson notebooks, this is something I plan to adhere to!)
I also picked up more delectable cues. Like how/what to eat with forks, chopsticks - and your hands. Did you know the proper way to eat caviar is from the back of your hand? And that even Queen Elizabeth II eats chicken on the bone by picking it up (elegantly, of course) with her hand? Oh, also that you should not eat bread until the appetiser arrives!
I complemented my newly-acquired dining etiquette with a Floral and Table Décor class taken by well-known floral artist Julia Volet. Volet started her flower arranging session saying, "Don't worry about getting it perfect all the time!" While, yes, it is important to know the rules of social graces, and there is nothing like paying attention to details, it is also about adding some joy into your lives: why else do we appreciate art, attend dinner parties and engage in conversations? That was my biggest takeaway.
But, meanwhile, do look out for string-tied cloth napkins with a piece of lavender at my next dinner party. I have a feeling they are bound to be a great conversation starter!
sujata@khaleejtimes.com