An apprentice butler holding a top hat before the wardrobe mirror

The Footman — Programme VI

Keepsake Photographs of the Apprentice Butler Experience

In a morning coat, a memory of the Manor in a single frame.

Queen's Butler — Definition

About Keepsake Photographs of the Apprentice Butler Experience

The keepsake photograph is the closing moment of the Apprentice Butler Experience, in which you are photographed inside the Manor still wearing your morning coat. The butler takes your own smartphone or camera and captures a standing pose or bow that conveys the deportment you have practised. A photograph beside the butler is taken only with that butler's consent.

The photograph preserves the deportment you practised, in a form you can recallA record of deportment

Purpose

What can the keepsake photograph preserve?

The keepsake photograph does not merely record the attire; it gathers into one frame the posture, the placement of the hands, the gaze and the bow you refined during the experience. Having watched your deportment throughout, the butler finds the spot where you stand naturally and leads you to a setting where the Manor's light and furnishings flatter formal dress.

Before the doors, a standing pose as if about to receive a guest. In the study, the posture of waiting quietly. In the dining room, the bow you practised as an apprentice. Settling on one role for each setting keeps expressions from being overworked, and the calm of the experience remains in the photograph. We never ask for a sudden pose purely for the camera.

We have both male and female butlers, and during photography they keep a distance at which you can stand at ease. The butler checks the set of the collar, waistcoat and white gloves before pressing the shutter, and if needed gives brief guidance on which way to face and where to place your hands. Those unused to being photographed may simply leave it to us.

See how the Apprentice Butler Experience unfolds

In the dining room, five apprentices of all ages in morning coats practise bowing alongside the butler

In the dining room, an apprentice in her sixties pours tea from a silver pot, the butler guiding her hand

At a glance

What is confirmed before photography?

Device	We take your own smartphone or camera. Please hand it over ready to shoot.
Photographer	The butler accompanying your experience presses the shutter. Tell us in advance anything we should know about operating the device.
Attire	You are photographed in the full morning coat, and the butler checks the collar, front button and white gloves.
Settings in the Manor	From the wardrobe mirror, the study, the dining room, before the doors and elsewhere, the butler chooses the location according to how the day has unfolded.
A photograph with the butler	Taken only after confirming the consent of the butler who appears. Please tell us your wishes before photography.
Reviewing the photographs	We look at the screen together, and the butler points out on the spot anything to adjust in posture or attire.

Scenes

Which settings best convey the spirit of the experience?

In the dining room, a mother and son apprentices lay silver and porcelain in the order the butler indicates

Mirror

Checking your attire before the mirror

The wardrobe mirror suits those who wish to keep the nervous excitement of having just dressed. With the top hat in hand, the butler positions you so that both your front and your reflected back are visible.

In the fireplace room, an apprentice in his seventies carries tea on a silver tray while a young woman apprentice sits in the role of lady

Study

Waiting quietly in the study

In the study, against the leather chair and the globe, you can express the manner of waiting until addressed. The butler guides where to place your hands and your gaze, with a straight back and unstiffened shoulders.

In the dining room, a family of grandmother, father, mother and daughter pose for a keepsake in morning coats

Bow

Closing with a bow in the dining room

In the dining room, the bow you practised can be preserved in a photograph. The feet, the back and the pause after lowering the head are set, and the shutter is pressed not mid-motion but once the bow has settled.

In the study, the butler demonstrates to an apprentice in her fifties the posture for writing a letter with a fountain pen

Doors

Closing the day's story before the doors

Before the doors is the setting that recalls the manner of welcoming and seeing off. With the hand on the handle, the half-step back and the gaze beyond the door in place, the flow of the experience comes through.

Photography flow

In what order does the photography proceed?

In the wardrobe, apprentices in their twenties, forties and sixties choose morning coats while the butler hangs a jacket

Make the device ready to shoot

Unlock the screen and open the camera function before handing it to the butler. If you have any wishes about operation, please tell us then.

Set the lines of the attire

The butler checks by eye the collar, shoulders, front button, waistcoat and white gloves of the morning coat, and quietly sets the back you cannot see yourself.

Discuss the moment to keep

We ask what impression you wish to keep: the full attire, the hands, the bow, a pose beside the butler. If undecided, the butler suggests options from the deportment you practised.

Confirm position and light

You are led to a spot that keeps clear of passage and furnishings. We confirm an angle that shows both face and attire, and set your posture from the feet up.

Shoot on the cue of a gesture

The butler gives a brief cue for the moment to raise your gaze, hold the bow or place a hand on the door. Simply recall the movements you made during the experience.

Choice

Which kind of photograph should I choose?

In the wardrobe, the butler sets the collar and white gloves of an apprentice in his fifties while a young woman apprentice waits holding a top hat

What to keep	Suited setting	How the butler helps
The full attire	Before the doors or in the dining room	We position you so the hem, feet and hands fit within one frame.
White-gloved hands	Handling silver, or dressing	We align the fingertips and confirm an angle that does not hide the object before shooting.
The bow	The dining room	We set the line from back to head, and cue the pause at which the movement stops.
The atmosphere of the Manor	The study or the wardrobe	We keep a distance from the furnishings and choose a spot where background objects do not overlap the attire.
A photograph beside the butler	A setting in the Manor suited to the day's flow	We confirm the consent of the butler who appears, and arrange a position that shows both figures' attire and posture.

The settings we suggest vary with conditions in the Manor and the day's schedule. Please tell the butler your wishes early.

Studio

What if I would like a professional portrait?

A professional shoot is one prepared with the photograph itself as its main purpose, such as a session with a photographer or with lighting rigged. The keepsake photograph of the Apprentice Butler Experience is offered as a moment within the flow of the day, using your own device, to preserve the deportment you practised.

If you wish to explore more compositions, use photographic equipment or make a portrait in butler's attire your main purpose, please see the butler's attire portrait at The Studio. As the purpose differs, attire, photography and terms of use are set out on that dedicated page.

If you are unsure which to choose, tell us whether you wish to keep a record of the deportment you practised or to prepare a photographic work. The butler hears your wishes and points you to the fitting route.

See the butler's attire portrait

At the double doors, the butler watches an apprentice in her thirties practise opening the door and bowing

QIs a camera provided?

Please bring your own smartphone or camera. The butler takes it and presses the shutter using the camera function you specify.

QI am not used to being photographed. Is that all right?

Yes, please be at ease. Building on the posture you refined during the experience, the butler guides you in turn on where to stand, how to place your hands and where to look.

QMay I be photographed with the butler?

Yes, where the butler who appears has given consent. Please tell us before photography, and leave the confirmation to the butler on the day.

QMay I ask a female butler to take the photograph?

Queen's Butler has both male and female butlers. The butler on duty assists with photography; preferences for a particular butler may be discussed when you reserve.

QCan the butler adjust the detailed settings on my camera?

As settings differ from device to device, please set it up yourself before handing it over. If any operation beyond pressing the shutter is needed, explain it clearly first.

QMay I be photographed anywhere in the Manor?

The butler chooses the location with regard to the day's schedule, conditions in the Manor and the care of the furnishings. If you have a setting in mind, please tell us early.

A white-gloved butler offering a keepsake

The Keepsake Presented at the Close

After photography, the butler presents one item, such as a pocket watch.

An apprentice butler bowing with composed posture

A Butler's Stance and Bow, as Seen in Photographs

Check the back, the hands, the gaze and the pause of the bow in our guide.

Choosing a morning coat from the wardrobe

The Full Morning Coat

The coat, waistcoat, shirt, tie, white gloves and shoes that appear in your photograph.

Reservation

Keep the memory of attire and deportment in a single frame of the Manor

Tell us your height, build, shoe size and preferred date and time. The butler prepares your attire and accompanies you to the close of the experience.

Enquiries and Reservations See the programme