|
Etiquette is a collective term for the established ceremonies and usages of society, from the forms which are to be observed in particular places such as courts, levees, and public occasions, to the general forms of polite society. Amongst courts the Byzantine and Spanish courts, and the French court under Louis XIV and Louis XV, have been noted for the strictness of their etiquette.
Victorian social etiquette consisted in so many minute observances that a tolerable familiarity with it could be acquired only by a considerable intercourse with 'polite society'. It was often said during the Victorian era that all that is necessary to constitute good social manners is common sense and good feeling; but not to mention those formal rules of society which, though intrinsically worthless, demanded a certain amount of respect, there were also many difficulties and emergencies in social intercourse which required peculiar tact and delicacy of judgment. Hence quickness of sympathy and a certain fineness of observation were more needed for proficiency in this sphere than pure power of intellect.
During the Victorian and Edwardian eras in Britain the rules and rituals of etiquette became so complex and sophisticated that a general revolt against them took place. Today the rules are less laws than guidelines, the most reliable being contained in 'Debrett's' which offers advice on the correct terms of address for royalty and other members of the aristocracy.
 Research Etiquette
|
Abbreviations
General Information
