Apprentice Butler Experience Guide
Dressing, manner, the course of the day, and giving it as a gift
About Apprentice Butler Experience Guide
The Apprentice Butler Experience guide is a collection of six articles you may read before the day: the order of dressing, stance and bow, the manner of tea and white gloves, the course of the day, and giving the experience as a gift. Each follows the moments in which the butler actually supports you at the Manor, so you may begin with whatever you most wish to know.
Where should I begin among the six articles?
Choosing an article means settling on the one moment at Queen's Butler you are most curious about, and moving on to the articles before and after it. If you wish to see the whole day, begin with the article on what to bring; if attire is on your mind, begin with the morning coat.
For those who wish to see the manner first, the order of stance and bow, then tea, then white gloves is easiest to follow. Once the posture is settled and your eye moves to the hands, where you stand, your distance from the tools, and the movement of the fingertips connect as a single flow.
The butlers of Queen's Butler, a general incorporated association, have written these in the order in which they actually address guests at the Manor. Whether you study beforehand or arrive with a fresh mind, the butler will accompany you for three hours all the same.
See the Apprentice Butler Experience as a whole
Which articles cover attire and manner?
How to wear a morning coat
Wearing a morning coat means fastening the single button, the waistcoat, the tie and the white gloves in order, to create the line of the figure when standing.
Read more
A butler's stance and bow
The article on stance and bow examines posture, the position of the hands and the angle separately. It suits those who wish to know the pause between stopping before a door, bowing, and lifting the eyes again.
Read more
The order of brewing tea
The manner of tea is a continuous movement: warming the teapot, measuring the leaves, pouring the water, and presenting the cup.
Read more
Handling white gloves
The article on white gloves covers smoothing them before putting them on, settling the fingertips, and how to place the hands when holding silver. The meaning of touching the tools through white cloth can be understood from the manner of the hands.
Read more
How do the four articles on manner differ?
| Morning coat | Centred on the order of dressing. You read how the single button, the waistcoat, the tie and the white gloves lead to the standing figure. |
|---|---|
| Stance and bow | Centred on the posture of the whole body and the pause in stillness. You read where to stand and when to lower the head, before a door or beside a guest. |
| Tea | Centred on the order of the hands from teapot to cup. You read how warming, measuring, pouring and presenting connect. |
| White gloves | Centred on the point of contact between fingertips and silver. You read how to put them on neatly and how to steady silver without gripping it. |
Which articles cover the day itself and the gift?
The day and what to bring
The course of the day is three hours: arrival, changing, manner, commemorative photographs, a keepsake, and departure.
Read more
Giving the Apprentice Butler Experience
The article on gifts covers how to proceed when the applicant and the participant differ. You will read why we confirm the recipient's height, build and shoe size and check them against our stock of attire before the gift is made.
Read moreIn what order should I read, from booking to the day?
Read the shape of the day
Begin with "The day and what to bring" for a view from arrival to departure. You will see where attire, manner, photographs and the keepsake fall within the three hours.
Check the attire
Next, in "How to wear a morning coat", read about the ensemble you will wear and the order of dressing. A guide to sizes is given separately on the attire page.
Read the manner of the body
In "A butler's stance and bow", check posture, the position of the hands and the angle. Rather than memorising the form, notice the quiet pause before and after each movement.
Read the manner of the hands
Move on to "The order of brewing tea" and "Handling white gloves". Looking before moving a vessel, and returning the hand after presenting, are all part of the manner.
For gifts only
If applying as a gift, read "Giving the Apprentice Butler Experience" and gather the participant's height, build and shoe size.
What do the six articles tell you?
| Article | Main question | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| How to wear a morning coat | What goes on first? | The order of button, waistcoat, tie and white gloves |
| A butler's stance and bow | What posture and angle? | Where to stand, the hands, and the pause of the bow |
| The order of brewing tea | How does it proceed? | The order of warming, measuring, pouring and presenting |
| Handling white gloves | When to put them on, how to hold? | Putting them on, and the hands that hold silver |
| The day and what to bring | What to bring, how is the time spent? | Why you may come empty-handed, and the order of the three hours |
| Giving the Apprentice Butler Experience | What to check before giving? | The participant's sizes and what to tell us when applying |
QDo I need to read all six before applying?
No. You may apply having read only the articles that interest you. On the day, one butler accompanies you and tells you what is needed, one thing at a time, as each moment arrives.
QIf it is my first time, where should I begin?
Beginning with "The day and what to bring" gives you the shape of the three hours. Then move on to whichever article on attire or manner interests you.
QIf I read the articles, can I reproduce the manner on my own?
The articles are reading to aid understanding before the day. At the Manor, the butler watches the position of the tools and the pauses in your movement, and guides you as the moment requires.
QAre the same articles suitable for women?
Yes. We keep attire for both men and women, and the articles on manner are for everyone. Both male and female butlers are on our staff.
QWhich article do I need if giving it as a gift?
See "Giving the Apprentice Butler Experience" for confirming the participant's sizes and how to apply. Reading "The day and what to bring" afterwards makes it easier to describe the three hours you are giving.
QWhere can I ask about a size not covered in the articles?
Please let us know the actual height, build and shoe size through the Enquiries & Reservations form.
You may also wish to read
Read, and if in doubt, ask the butler.
Please let us know your height, build and shoe size, and your preferred date and time.