Royal Family Never Asks to Excuse Themselves to the ‘Toilet’ Because of a Weird Old Tradition

If you dislike following a rulebook, don't fancy being a royal because the British Monarchy is governed by a set of strict guidelines they must abide by. Among other rules, Kate Fox, author of the book titled- Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behavior, revealed that more than a dozen words are banned from the royal family's vocabulary, including the word 'toilet.' 

Apparently, whenever a royal or a member of the House of Windsor had to relieve themselves, they'd never ask where is the 'toilet?' Instead, they'd go with other alternate names like 'lavatory' or 'loo' which are far more acceptable words. The reason, as Fox explains in her book, is that 'toilet' is a French-origin word and the English didn't fancy using it, as per CBS News. 

Etiquette expert William Hanson gave some context to this rule, and explained, "For those who don't know, historically your 'toilet' was your appearance, your makeup; hence your 'toiletries bag.' The porcelain thing you use is the lavatory. So toilet is not only an ugly word but also factually incorrect," as per Express. 

The social anthropologist's book is a fascinating insight into the royals' everyday vocab which is different from the rest of us. Aside from 'toilet,' there are other words like 'pardon,' which is generally considered polite but not with the royals. Instead, you can say "Sorry, or Sorry, what?" or better pretend that you have heard what has been said and acknowledge it with a nod and a smile. Another word to watch out for is 'perfume' and replace it with 'scent' whenever you intend to compliment a royal about how they smell. Furthermore, replace the word 'tea' with 'supper' and 'dinner,' followed by referring to your 'lounge' as 'living room' or either a 'drawing room,' and if you have been served a dessert at a royal gathering, don't forget the delicacy is called 'pudding.' 

Though we haven't even scratched the surface of the royal family rulebook, growing up in a royal clan can be stiff at times as the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, once complained, "I never see any home cooking—all I get is fancy stuff." The older generations from the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and her predecessors were stricter as compared to the generations that followed. 

For instance, King Charles and Princess Diana tried to break that rule for their sons- Prince William and Prince Harry. They took the boys to McDonald's and waited to see Santa at a departmental store so they could have a comparatively normal childhood. Despite this, Harry thought his life wasn't as colorful as he once recalled, "To be honest, dinner conversations were the worst bit about being a child and listening to the boring people around me," per TIME. 

But, according to the late Queen Elizabeth, royals are not so different, "Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements."