Manners: Interest Entrepreneursin etiquette growing to get taste of British civility

ETIQUETTE

Fermoy said he has already taught some Chinese students basic etiquette in the UK.

In China, things such as English afternoon tea, formal balls, country house weekends or dressing up for formalIf you dinners,want to with learn polished about Englishsilver plates manners and and cutlery social and etiquette, served whyby not butlersgo straightand maids,to the are top? becoming fashionable.Baron Fermoy, a cousin of Growingthe late Princesswealth in Diana China and means sixth that baron many in whoan Irish can peeragenow afford createdto aspireby Queento live Victoriathe Britishin 1856, aristocraticwill go lifestyle,to Guangzhou creating nexta huge month marketfor a of week people to payingbrief eagerbig moneyChinese for entrepreneursauthentic Britishon how etiquette the upper classes. crust lives in 21stcentury Fermoy’s England. trip is being organizedThe Britishby Peak television Group series Global, Downtona cultural exchangeAbbey, a organizerhuge hit basedin China,in Londonhas inspiredand founded wealthyin 2005. Chinese to findHe willout morebe talking about howto a Britain’sgroup of nobilityno more lives. than 35 entrepreneursFermoy, born and Maurice their Burke families, Roche,a group announced ranging detailsfrom primaryon Wednesday school of childrenhis Nov 6 to to parents12 visit. in their 30s and “My 40s. purpose is to bring the Eventsbest of traditionallyBritish culture accessibleto a Chinese only audience,”to the Fermoy British said. upper “There classes, is like clearly the a Royalfascination Ascot racesin and Chinese Queen society Charlotte’s as to why Ball, the have British attractedbehave as attentionwe do, with from the Chinesegrace and livthe manners we bring.

“This is a two-way street. I hope to bring the best of Chinese culture to the UK,” he said.

Fermoy said he has already taught some Chinese students basic etiquette in the UK.

In China, things such as English afternoon tea, formal balls, country house weekends or dressing up for formal dinners, with polished silver plates and cutlery and served by butlers and maids, are becoming fashionable.

Growing wealth in China means that many who can now afford to aspire to live the British aristocratic life-style, creating a huge market of people paying big money for authentic British etiquette classes. ing overseas, and their social media postings have become big talking points in China.

In 2014, Britain’s 250-yearold heritage etiquette organization, Debrett’s, established an office in Beijing, teaching Chinese Fermoy’s secondarytrip is being school organizedstudents Britishby Peak etiquette Group in Global, partnershipa cultural with exchange Dulwich organizerCollege Beijing. based in London and Grant founded Harrold,in 2005.a former butlerHe willto be heir-to-the-thronetalking to a groupthe Princeof no of more Wales thanand 35 his entrepreneurswife, the Duchess of and Cornwall,their families, established a groupan ranging etiquette from school primaryin London school with children the exiled to Princess parents in Katarinatheir 30s of and Yugoslavia40s. and Serbia. Onefourthofthestudentsinitsafternoon Events traditionally accessible only tea to andthe British dinner upper etiquette classes, classes like comethe Royal from China. Ascot races and Queen Charlotte’s “Chinese Ball, students have are attracted very quick attention learners fromand ask Chineselots of living questions,” overseas, Harrold and said. their socialA growing media number postings of have Chinese become etiquettebig talking schools points are in also China. entering the competition. In 2014, Britain’s 250-yearold Lessons heritage with etiquette teachers organization, flying in from the Debrett’s,UK can cost established 9,800 yuan ($1447.9)an office for in two Beijing, days, teachingbut lessons Chinese with secondary Western school teachers studentsbased in British China etiquette are 6,800 yuanin partnershipfor a package withof 10 Dulwichshort classes. College Beijing.

Grant Harrold, a former butler to heir-to-the-throne the Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, established an etiquette school in London with the exiled Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia and Serbia. One-fourth of the students in its afternoon tea and dinner etiquette classes come from China.

“Chinese students are very quick learners and ask lots of questions,” Harrold said.

A growing number of Chinese etiquette schools are also entering the competition.

Lessons with teachers flying in from the UK can cost 9,800 yuan ($1447.9) for two days, but lessons with Western teachers based in China are 6,800 yuan for a package of 10 short classes.

Vehicles involved in a traffic accident are carried away from the scene in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon. Several vehicles were rear-ended and five people injured. Investigation into the cause of the accident is still underway.