German Imperial Court etiquette required that a man invited to a luncheon at the Emperor’s Imperial Palace must wear a special white tie and frock coat.
Potsdam
When the Emperor and Empress entered, all rose to their feet in silence, and remained standing until their Imperial host permitted them to resume their seats by a wave of the hand.
The Kaiser was very precise about the table settings and frequently planned the menus himself. The Imperial table at Potsdam was probably the only one in Europe that was never graced by a French menu card. Emperor Wilhelm favored the more comprehensible, if less appetizing, native phraseology.
The style of the table decorations was always the same, roses being the only flowers the Empress would tolerate. Wine was the sole beverage. French champagne was avoided and guests were required to converse in an undertone.
Taken from Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia by Maura J. Graber.
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 555
