Telephone Etiquette

The world certainly became a smaller place when in1876, Scottish Inventor Alexander Graham Bell patented his new device which produced a clearly intelligible replication of the human voice, in other words, the birth of the Telephone. This device for the first time in history allowed people to converse over many, many miles and before too long, even continents! 

The telephone quickly became part of any reputable household and you would not be seen without one if you were ‘someone of note’, but they have come a long way since 1876, and today there is hardly a home or business that does not have one, or a person who does not have a mobile phone or a smart watch instead or as well, and these have really taken over from the traditional telephone as we know it.

I must confess in my household I do indeed own a telephone, but not just any old telephone, I have a lovely 1964 traditional Bakelite telephone. Most guests think it is a display piece and I have to prise them off the ceiling when it rings as it is a particularly loud, traditional old-fashioned ring! I do love my telephone, and unlike more modern technology, it never fails me.

Now, one of the most common questions I get asked is ‘What is the correct way to answer a telephone?’ Or 'How do you end a conversation?’ Well, did you know that when Alexander Graham Bell invented this device he believed “Ahoy” would be the best greeting but thankfully this did not catch on, as I would not want people mistaking my drawing room for the bridge of a ship! 

So here are my top 5 tips on telephone etiquette for any self-respecting user of the modern or old-fashioned communicating device. 

1.    Distance

Keep your mouth one and half inches from the telephone. It was calculated that this would be the perfect distance for your mouth and receiver to ensure the best quality in sound. This is still advisable to ensure you are not deafening the person on the other end.

2.     Greeting

Begin the conversation by saying your number, but not the full code! This gives the caller the opportunity to make sure they have called the correct number and then can then begin speaking. If sharing a telephone with others you may wish to say ‘(your name) speaking’ so that callers know to whom they are speaking. When the call is over we simply say goodbye. 

3.     Conversation

The person calling should begin and finish the conversation, remember we never call to invite someone to something as this should be done by a handwritten invitation. We also never shout, swear or act inappropriately on the telephone. If you put the caller on speakerphone you must always let them know if there is another person present who can hear the conversation.

4.    Listen:

Always pay attention to the other person and what they are saying. As with a face to face conversation we do not speak over someone or interrupt them until they are finished speaking, only then you may respond. 

5.    Timings

We never call someone before 9am as this would be considered too early to receive a phone call, and we should not call someone after 9pm as this would be very late in the day to begin a conversation as most of us are preparing to retire for the evening. Sunday lunchtime is also a strict no-no for making telephone calls, unless that time has been previously agreed. 

The State Opening of Parliament

The Opening of Parliament began out of practical necessity. By the late fourteenth century, the means by which the King gathered his nobles and representatives of the Commons had begun to follow an established pattern. First of all, Peers' names were checked against the list of those who had been summoned, and representatives of the Commons were checked against the sheriffs' election returns. The Peers were robed and sat in the Painted Chamber at Westminster then the Commons were summoned, and stood at the Bar (entrance) of the Chamber. 

A speech or sermon was then given by the Lord Chancellor explaining why Parliament had been summoned, after which the Lords and Commons went separately to discuss the business in hand. The monarch normally presided however not only for the Opening but also for the deliberations which followed.

In modern time, the State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start of the parliamentary year and the Queen's Speech sets out the government’s agenda for the coming session, outlining proposed policies and legislation. It is the only regular occasion when the three constituent parts of Parliament, the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons meet.

State Opening happens on the first day of a new parliamentary session or shortly after a general election. The State Opening of Parliament normally takes place in May/June.

State Opening is the main ceremonial event of the parliamentary calendar, attracting large crowds and a significant television and online audience. It begins with the Queen's procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, escorted by the Household Cavalry.

Before the arrival of the Queen, the Imperial State Crown is carried to the Palace of Westminster in its own State Coach. From the Victoria Tower, the Crown is passed by the Queen's Bargemaster to the Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office. It is then carried, along with the Great Sword of State and the Cap of Maintenance, to be displayed in the Royal Gallery.

The Queen arrives by carriage at the Sovereign's Entrance accompanied by her consort Prince Philip and are met by Lord Speaker, the Lord Chancellor (with the Purse containing the Queen's Speech), the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Earl Marshal. They proceed to the Robing Room. The Royal Standard is hoisted to replace the Union Flag upon the Sovereign's entrance and remains flying whilst The Queen is in attendance.

Wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State, The Queen leads the Royal Procession through the Royal Gallery, packed with 600 guests, to the chamber of the House of Lords. The Queen then proceeds through the Royal Gallery to the House of Lords. The procession is formed, marshalled by the Earl Marshal, and after the procession through the Royal Gallery they enter the Prince's Chamber to the Chamber of the House of Lords, usually accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and immediately preceded by the Earl Marshal, and by one peer being the Leader of the House of Lords carrying the Cap of Maintenance on a white rod, and another peer normally a retired senior military officer carrying the Great Sword of State, all following the Lord Great Chamberlain and his white stick, commonly the practical implement of ceremonial ushers, raised aloft. Once seated on the throne, the Queen, wearing the Imperial State Crown, instructs the House by saying, "My Lords, pray be seated"; her consort takes his seat on the throne to her left and other members of the Royal family may be seated elsewhere on the dais, for example the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are seated on thrones on a lower portion of the dais to the Queen's right. 

When Her Majesty has taken Her seat on the Throne, the Lord Speaker and Lord Chancellor stand on Her right at the foot of the steps of the Throne. The Queen is attended by the Officers of State. The Queen then commands Black Rod, through the Lord Great Chamberlain, to summon the Commons, which he does in these words:

▪ "Mr/Madam Speaker,

▪ The Queen commands this honourable House to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers."

Motioned by the Monarch, the Lord Great Chamberlain raises his wand of office to signal to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (known as Black Rod), who is charged with summoning the House of Commons and has been waiting in the Commons lobby. Black Rod turns and, under the escort of the Door-keeper of the House of Lords and a police inspector, who orders "Hats off, Strangers!" to all persons along the way, approaches the doors to the Chamber of the Commons.

As Black Rod approaches the doors to the Commons chamber are shut in his face: a practice dating back to the Civil War, symbolising the Commons independence from the monarchy. In 1642, King Charles I stormed into the House of Commons in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest the Five Members, which included the celebrated English patriot and leading parliamentarian John Hampden. Since that time, no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is sitting^. 

Black Rod strikes the door three times before it is opened. The Speaker then The Sergeant-at-Arms picks up the ceremonial mace and with the Speaker and Black Rod they proceed to attend the summons at once as they lead the Members of the House of Commons who then walk in pairs, towards the House of Lords.  By tradition, the members walk with each other in much discussion and joking rather than a formal process. 

The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition followed by The Deputy Prime Minister and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition usually walk side by side, leading the two lines of MPs. The Commons then arrive at the Bar of the House of Lords where they bow to the Queen. No person who is not a member of the Upper House may pass the Bar unbidden when it is in session. A similar rule applies to the Commons. They remain standing at the Bar during the speech.

The Queen's Speech is delivered by the Queen from the Throne in the House of Lords and is presented to her Lord Chancellor. Although the Queen reads the Speech, it is written by the government. It contains an outline of its policies and proposed legislation for the new parliamentary session.

Following the speech, the Queen leaves the chamber before the Commons bow again and return to their Chamber.

When the Queen leaves, a new parliamentary session starts and Parliament gets back to work. Members of both Houses debate the content of the speech and agree an ‘Address in Reply to Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech’. Each House continues the debate over the planned legislative programme for several days, looking at different subject areas. The Queen's Speech is voted on by the Commons, but no vote is taken in the Lords.

Traditions:

The traditions surrounding State Opening and the delivery of a speech by the monarch can be traced back as far as the 16th century. The current ceremony dates from the opening of the rebuilt Palace of Westminster in 1852 after the fire of 1834.

Before the The Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster, the cellars are searched by the Yeomen of the Guard in order to prevent a modern-day Gunpowder Plot. The Plot of 1605 involved a failed attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the Protestant King James I and aristocracy. Since that year, the cellars have been searched, now largely, but not only, for ceremonial purposes.

The Etiquette & Protocol surrounding the Official Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

The Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Monarch for over 260 years. This tradition was started by King George II in 1748. The King was born in November, and felt it would be too cold at that time of year to hold his annual birthday parade, therefore he combined his birthday celebration with an annual spring military parade known as Trooping the Colour, in which regiments displayed their flags or "colours" so soldiers would be familiar with them. 

The tradition has continued to this day. The Queen's real birthday is on April 21, but she decided to continue  with the tradition of celebrating in June otherwise known as The Queen's Birthday Parade, when the Queen inspects soldiers from the Household Division. It takes place on Horse Guards Parade behind Whitehall.

The Trooping the Colour involves over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The Queen's official birthday.

Streets are lined with crowds waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.

The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony.

The six main events of the day are as follows: 

1. The streets are lined with crowds waving British flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. The Queen now travels with The Duke of Edinburgh in a carriage.

2. When the Queen arrives at Horse Guard's Parade in Whitehall, she is greeted by a Royal salute and carries out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats.

3. After the military bands have performed, the escorted Regimental Colour, or flag, is processed down the ranks of soldiers. Over one hundred words of command are used by the Officer in Command of the Parade to direct the several hundred soldiers.

4. Once the Foot Guards have marched past The Queen, she returns in her carriage back to Buckingham Palace at the head of the soldiers, before taking the salute again at the Palace from a dais. 

5. Her Majesty is then joined by other Members of the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past by the Royal Air Force. A 41-gun salute is also fired in Green Park to mark the occasion. 

6. The Royal family then have a private lunch to finish of the official celebration of Her Majesty's official Birthday.