Royal banquets' secret 'traffic light' system revealed by Queen Camilla's son

dailyrecord.co.uk:

State banquets, hosted by the monarch, are affairs of grandeur with an unnoticed detail that ensures perfect execution, often invisible to guests.In a recent Daily Mail feature, Queen Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles shared insights into the dietary customs of royals past and present.Describing these sumptuous events, which occur up to thrice annually in either St George's Hall at Windsor Castle or the Buckingham Palace ballroom, Tom Parker Bowles remarked on their opulence.He elaborated on the sophistication of these banquets: "This is not mere eating, rather a brilliantly choreographed ballet, 'souffle' diplomacy at its finest, as kings and queens, princes, potentates and presidents sit down to revel in the eternal power of the shared table.

Dinners may not only stretch to three courses, but they are still powerful diplomatic tools: edible statecraft, pure dinnertime diplomacy." Among the ostentation of state banquets lies a hidden practicality aiding the event's smooth flow.

Tom Parker Bowles revealed a behind-the-scenes system stating: "Red and green traffic lights are hidden in the balcony, and when the lights change, one course is removed, and the next brought in."The custom of writing banquet menus in French continues, with the King and Queen carefully reviewing each before approval.

He added: "The late Queen, like the King, was a stickler for detail."Tom Parker Bowles, while researching his new book, had a chat with Royal Chef Mark Flanagan and revealed: "Her Majesty always designed the menus for her guests, rather than herself.