Congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who have announced they are expecting their first child.

When the baby is born it will mean that Prince Harry is moved from third in-line to the British throne to fourth in-line.

If we follow the precedent of...

Our final foray into Downton until Christmas and it did not disappoint. ITV clearly has a sense of humour in thinking that I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is a suitable replacement.

So, for the final time...

Footmen in gloves
You will have noticed that...

The end of Downton series 3 is in sight. Quite frankly I don't know how I will cope when its gone. But let's not dwell, and focus on the issues of etiquette that were featured in the penultimate episode of this stellar series.


Toast of...

I shall admit that when I heard everybody's second favourite Middleton was doing a book on party planning, I was a tad cynical. Many will know that her parents run a (very successful) business called 'Party Pieces', which supplies equipment for such parties. Could this be a way to help...

A somewhat more subdued episode this week, which was just as well as some of us still haven't recovered from the drama of the last episode.

I was glad to see that Matthew has been reading my missives - in particular the one from two weeks ago...

It seems almost callous to start unpicking the etiquette of tonight's deeply moving and sad episode... but here we go...

Clocks
When valet Thomas was showing the new apple of his eye how to wind up the grandfather clock, he closed the glass door to the clock face with...

It was so refreshing to get some quality drama on ITV1 last night following the farce that came before this week's stellar episode of Downton Abbey. Not only was the episode rich with plot and pithy one-liners from the Dowager Countess, but there was so much etiquette to...

Obviously the worst kind of manners displayed in this episode, was Sir Anthony Strallen's ditching of Lady Edith at the altar. You don't have to be an expert to have spotted that one!

Episode 3, perhaps my favourite one of the series to date, contained relatively few etiquette slip-ups,...

Another excellent episode from Julian Fellowes. Dame Maggie Smith was on fine form; I had to re-watch her "thought you were a waiter" comment three times.

Last week's column seemed to get a good reception on Twitter and so here goes with a dissection of pointers I...

Downton Abbey waltzed back on to our screen last night, to the gratitude of the nation. It will come as no surprise that this is one of my favourite shows, not just because of the drama and characters but also the etiquette, customs and clearly defined class structure that was...

Well I seem to have caused a bit of a hoo-hah.

Yesterday, I appeared on ITV1's This Morning programme to debate in the studio the sartorial hot potato of whether women over 50 should or should not wear bikinis... with Nancy Dell'Olio (who is exactly how she appears on screen...

Also known as 'The Championships', Wimbledon is arguably the most prestigious tennis event in the world and has been held in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877. Unlike most professional tennis competitions, it is held on grass courts.

Wimbledon is one of the only sporting tournaments to enforce a...

The Prime Minister David Cameron has revived the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service... or, to the common man, the British Empire Medal. Although it has always been awarded in other Commonwealth countries, former premier John Major decided to scrap it during his tenure at...

The celebrations from the Jubilee weekend are still fresh in our minds and will live on in our memories and affections for years to come. Buckingham Palace and the Royal Household put on a jolly good show for not just the British public but for the wider world to show...

The Diamond Jubilee weekend is here; people up and down the land will be celebrating and gathering with friends and family. You may be opting to take part in the 'Big Lunch' on the Sunday, or throw a tea party or picnic on the Bank Holiday Monday. But another option...

Today sees Her Majesty The Queen officially 'open' a new session of parliament, which will set out the government's agenda and legislation for the coming year.

Her Majesty is not known to like public speaking, but sees it as a duty that she must perform. The government of the...

First impressions are vital in business. The Apprentice kicks off again on our screens next week and pictures have been released of the latest batch of candidates that will take part in the marathon job interview in order to gain investment from Lord Sugar. What struck me about the latest...

"He's got the whole wide world in his hands," so the children's song goes, although now it can be re-worked: "He's got the whole wide world in his hands... except the British as they refused on the grounds of hygiene".

My thoughts on a proper handshake have been...

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has said that he told Ed Milliband to wear a jacket, as all leaders should be seen in jackets. I quite agree. Before he became prime minister, David Cameron went through a phase of wearing nothing but off-the-peg, low-cost suits from Marks & Spencer's....

At the weekend, Liverpool footballer and all-round douchebag Luis Suarez refused to shake the hand of Manchester United footballer Patrice Evra. What makes this rather childish refusal even more ludicrous is that it was Suarez who was in the wrong in the first place! For those, like me, who have...