Dinner with the royal family is unsurprisingly very formal – and there's a very strict dress code that must be followed.
Speaking to Amanda Wakeley on her podcast Style DNA earlier this month, PR guru Tanya Rose Simpson revealed what happened when she was invited to Balmoral Castle and Sandringham Estate.
Tanya, then 14 and a school friend of Prince Edward at Gordonstoun, said she was sent a "dress code" in advance of her visits.
It gives a glimpse into the strict style rules that royals such as the Princess of Wales and Duchess Sophie would need to follow during family gatherings.
© GettyTanya said she stayed for four days at Sandringham and was required to wear "four long dresses, four outfits for breakfast, four outfits for tea, shooting things, Barbours, and Wellington boots".
She said: "It was just me, who was not family, and they sent the dress code, which I showed to my father and my mother, and my father said 'Oh my god, why did I send you to that school!'
"I didn't grow up like that, I didn't have that wardrobe, so we had to go out and buy everything."
Luckily, the late Queen put her at ease after noticing she was "nervous". "She started doing impressions of her groom and just being so sweet to me. She was lovely," Tanya said.
The Prince and Princess of Wales begin their summer visit to Balmoral
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at Balmoral Castle for their summer stay last week, HELLO! confirmed.
Subsequent reports suggested that Prince William was even with his father on Wednesday night at 10pm when news broke that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be returning to the UK.
© Getty ImagesHELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash says that Prince William and Kate are likely "not delighted" about the news of Harry's return. The Waleses are not in contact with the Sussexes, so it's unlikely an imminent reunion is on the cards.
On Sunday, William and Kate and their three children were seen joining the King and Queen for a church service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral.
The Princess Royal and her husband Sir Tim Laurence were in another of the cars, and the Duke of Edinburgh and his daughter Lady Louise were in another vehicle.
Kate, 44, was wearing a hat, a tweed-type jacket and a high-necked white shirt, and could be seen smiling as she was driven up to the church.
Queen Elizabeth's unexpected hosting rule at Balmoral
It's not just style rules at Balmoral that have caught royal guests off guard in the past.
It seems there are quite a few aspects of staying at the famous Aberdeenshire retreat that are not quite as expected.
© Bettmann ArchiveAccording to various accounts from Prime Ministers hosted by the late Queen, she would always insist on putting on a pair of yellow rubber gloves and washing up the dirty dishes after a meal.
Meanwhile, Ruthie Henshall, who once dated Prince Edward, told HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast that her visit to Balmoral was "surreal".
She said: "They were all quite jolly. I think everyone was jolly by the time we'd had a few martinis. Charles was manning the bar. He made me a very strong martini. He probably did that on purpose."
