What Is a Butler?
One who quietly sets in order the time and the house of the lady of the house.
About What Is a Butler?
A butler is one who receives the wishes of the lady of the house, sets people, things, time and the house in order, and serves in the manner the occasion requires. At Queen's Butler, our butlers remain at the lady's side from welcome to farewell. Both male and female butlers are in residence, each serving with their own experience and gifts.
The butler begins the preparations before the lady of the house reaches the door.
A butler's preparation means bringing people, things, time and the house to a state ready to receive the lady of the house before she reaches the door. Once the hour of her arrival is settled, the butler adjusts the lights, surveys the position of the chairs, checks the silver and porcelain, and looks for anything out of place in the wardrobe or the study. The stillness that first meets the lady's eye is the result of the butler's hands having moved first.
At the entrance the butler bows, takes the luggage and coat, and asks the wishes of the day. To stay close, or to keep a little distance: both are the butler's work. An afternoon for conversation, and an afternoon for nothing but the sound of turning pages. Reading that difference, the butler adjusts the volume of the voice that offers a chair and the moment the tea is brought.
So that the lady of the house need never search for what to do next, the butler's hand reaches the door first, never hurries her step, and indicates her seat. This is not a movement that takes away her choice. Preparing the state in which she may choose, and moving only after her wishes are heard, is the essential posture of one who serves.
The house is kept for the Queen: that is our position.
Queen's Butler receives the lady of the house from the brand's position of "a butler in service to the Queen". This does not speak of service in a royal household. It expresses the posture of honouring the lady of the house before you, and for her sake opening the door, drawing the chair and setting the time in order.
The butler does not step forward to become the protagonist of the story, but supports the lady of the house so that she may be, in comfort, the lady of the house. Close at hand when needed; a little removed from her line of sight when she wishes to be quiet. Yet always within reach of the silver bell should it ring. That is how we serve in this Manor.
Respect is not a matter of heaping up grand words. It is confirming the lady's name and wishes, speaking before touching anything, and, when something must be declined, never leaving the reason vague. A posture that omits no small confirmation is what sustains the trust between lady and butler. No prior knowledge is needed to spend time here as the lady of the house.
The five things a butler sets in order
| What is set in order | What the butler attends to | Scenes at the Manor |
|---|---|---|
| People | Wishes, distance, pace, and the moment to offer a hand | Welcome, guiding to the seat, farewell |
| Things | The position of furnishings, the handling of silver and porcelain, garments | The table, the wardrobe, the study |
| Time | Beginnings and endings, when to change the light, when to speak | Afternoon tea, reading, the theatre |
| The house | The doors, the setting of each room, where the lady of the house spends her time | All eleven rooms |
| Boundaries | What may be accepted, what may not, and the butler's dignity | Every scene in which a wish is heard |
A butler is not one who accepts every request unconditionally. We serve within the scope of our work and with mutual dignity preserved.
How does a butler set the distance from the lady of the house?
| Welcome | The butler opens the door, bows and takes the luggage and coat. |
|---|---|
| Hearing her wishes | The butler stands close and quietly confirms how she wishes to spend her time, and what she would rather not be touched. |
| Reading or viewing | The butler does not speak more than necessary, and watches over her from where the silver bell can be answered. |
| At the table | The butler surveys her hands and the table, and arranges the order so that everything needed is within reach. |
| Farewell | The butler checks the items in their keeping and brings the day to its close beyond the door. |
The butlers of Queen's Butler are at your side.
The Japan Butler Association, a general incorporated association, operates Queen's Butler. At the Manor in Odaiba, the Association's butlers receive the lady of the house and remain in the house throughout her visit. We never hire out the Manor unattended or hand over only a key. Opening the doors, handling the furnishings and watching over the lady's time are all the butler's charge.
Our butlers are not cut from a single pattern. One recites poetry, one has firm views on records, one can speak of the provenance of a tea. Their gifts differ. If you have a wish, tell us at booking and we will pass it to the butler who attends you on the day.
What the butlers of Queen's Butler share is a posture that does not treat the lady of the house as an object of observation, but receives her as a person with a will of her own. Some things may be anticipated; others must always be asked. At the Manor, we watch words and expressions so as never to mistake that line.
See the Salon
Men and women alike serve as butlers.
Male butlers
The door, the table, the study, the fireplace room. Attending quietly at the lady's side, according to her wishes and the scene of the day.
Read more
Female butlers
Women too are in residence as butlers. Dress and bearing composed, they serve the lady's time and the house.
Read more
The Buddy, your own butler
A butler with whom you have entered into a butler contract, and who has become your own, is called at Queen's Butler your Buddy.
Read moreWhat a butler holds dear
- Asking the lady's wishes first, and arranging how the day will be spent
- Handling the Manor's doors, furnishings, silver and porcelain in support of each scene
- Waiting where they can answer when needed, and watching over the lady's time
- Male and female butlers alike serving with their own gifts
- Declining, with courtesy and a clear reason, any request that cannot be accepted
The boundaries a butler keeps
- Hiring out the Manor unattended
- Handing a key to the guest
- Accepting requests beyond the scope of a butler's work
- Accepting requests that compromise the butler's dignity
From preparing the door to the farewell, what does a butler do?
Surveying the house
The butler checks the lights, chairs, doors, silver, porcelain and wardrobe.
Welcome at the entrance
The butler opens the door, bows and takes the luggage and coat.
Hearing her wishes
The butler confirms in words her mood for the day, where she wishes to be, and the distance she prefers.
Watching over the time
Whether tea, reading, the table or a film, the butler stays close or a little removed to suit the scene.
Receiving a change
The butler responds to wishes that arise along the way, adjusting the lights, the chairs and the placing of things anew.
Dress and etiquette exist so that the lady of the house is never left uncertain.
A butler's dress is formal attire that answers the hour and the occasion, telling the lady of the house the shape of the time before any word is spoken. A morning coat by day; a tailcoat or dinner jacket by night. White gloves, leather shoes, shirt, waistcoat and bow tie each play their part in the whole, and the butler composes a single figure from collar to shoe.
Etiquette is the same. To show the order at table before anyone hesitates, to reach the door before anyone sets off, to answer the silver bell without keeping the lady of the house waiting. Not imposing a form, but preparing the choices and the path in advance so that the lady of the house is never anxious about what comes next.
The pace of a butler's movements is not always the same. Taking a coat on a rainy day, a quiet afternoon alone, an exchange among six guests: the words needed and the place to stand all differ. The butler does not judge by numbers or weather alone, but reads the pace of the lady of the house before them.
See the butler's etiquette
QAre the butlers of Queen's Butler former royal butlers?
The phrase does not denote service in a royal household. "A butler in service to the Queen" is the position of the Queen's Butler brand: to honour the lady of the house before you and, for her sake, to set the house and the time in order.
QAre there female butlers?
Yes. Both male and female butlers are in residence. If you have a preference, please tell us when you book. Should availability not allow it, we will propose an alternative.
QIs the butler always in the Manor?
Yes. A butler is always present in the Manor during your visit. We never hire out the Manor unattended, and no key is handed over.
QMay a butler I like continue to serve me?
A butler who has become your own through a butler contract is called your Buddy. Only a limited number of butlers can accept a contract, so please enquire first.
QMay I ask for anything at all?
Each butler has their strengths, and what can be accommodated differs. Requests beyond the scope of a butler's work, or that compromise the butler's dignity, are respectfully declined.
QAre there rules for how to address a butler, even for a first visit?
There is no need to learn any particular form of address or etiquette before you come. Please tell us your wishes in your own words. The butler will guide you through the order where it is needed.
About your Buddy
- A Buddy agreement depends on the butler's availability and requires the consent of both parties. We cannot guarantee that an agreement will be made
- Only some of our butlers are able to enter into a butler agreement
You may also wish to read
The Butler's Attire
Formal dress for day and night, white gloves, leather shoes and the bow tie.
Read more
The History of the Butler
From the origins of the role to how the posture of serving a house was handed down.
Read more
The Footman — Apprentice Butler Experience
Three hours in a full morning coat, learning the bearing of a butler.
Read more
Your butler awaits, just inside the door.
Tell us your preferred date and time, and how you would like to spend your hours with a butler at the Manor in Odaiba.