This week, Country Life revealed the 39 rules every perfect gentleman must follow – from never breaking into a run in public to always picking the closet canapé on the tray.
What, though, does it take to be the perfect lady in 2025?
Laura Windsor, known as the Queen of Etiquette, has shared her own list with the Daily Mail as guidance for the modern woman.
To be truly ladylike one must stick to baths, not showers, and never use the phrase ‘staycation’, according to Laura – who advised Netflix on Regency-era social graces for Bridgerton.
As a courteous friend, you will not make life harder for party hosts with ‘dietary requirements’ and will only cancel plans in the direst emergency.
A lady will also never hide her beauty secrets. The classy thing to do is to kindly share your tricks or tips for more radiant and youthful looks.
And don’t even think about jogging or wearing Lululemon if you want to go about life with an aura of grace.
Read on for the etiquette expert’s rules on how to be a modern lady in 39 steps…
Laura Windsor, dubbed the Queen of Etiquette, says a lady should be able to walk in heels just as good as the Princess of Wales (pictured in Windsor in 2023) does
The modern lady…
1. Owns a rescue greyhound…
2. …who is trained not to sniff passers by
3. Takes baths, not showers
4. Has no ‘dietary requirements’…
5. …but turns to cabbage soup diet and not Mounjaro to lose a few lbs
6. Will gladly fly with a budget airline, but only after 10am
7. Doesn’t smother her body with creams and perfume to hide her natural body odour, unless she forgot to bathe
8. Never gatekeeps her beauty routine
9. Only calls her children by nicknames
10. Uses Tupperware not glass jars
11. Loves Boots Advantage Card
12. Only buys whole milk
13. Can do a Princess of Wales walk across any field in four-inch heels
14. Will always hold a wine glass by the stem, even when she has double vision
15. Does not jog because it’s an inconvenience to pedestrians
16. Has no style icons
17. Understands that wearing high heels is not right for very short people
18. Clasps her hands at belly button height during conversations
19. Watches TV news with opposing views to hers so she can make her own decisions
20. Does not wear Lululemon
21. Is confident on a Lime bike
22. Is always prepared for any weather
23. Reads her horoscopes religiously even though she doesn’t believe in astrology
24. Calls an ‘espresso’ by its real name – ‘caffe’
25. Holidays in a rustic farmhouse and not a resort
26. Will not refer to a weekend break in the UK as a ‘staycation’
27. Never shortens a word. It’s not invite, it’s invitation, and it’s not avo, it’s avocado
28. Gets 10,000 steps a day but would never track with a smart watch
29. Writes thank you notes on plain single-sided card
30. Doesn’t affect a foreign accent while ordering tapas…unless she speaks fluent Spanish
31. Welcomes acts of chivalry from men
32. Does yoga, not reformer Pilates
33. Knows fashion doesn’t count when you’re skiing
34. Only cancels plans in the event of a death or serious illness
35. Never plate stacks at the end of a meal – it’s rude to the waiter
36. Doesn’t declare that she’s picking up the bill, but goes off quietly to pay
37. Leaves only one lipstick mark on the glass during a meal
38. Prefers Cadbury chocolate
39. Wears only a wedding or engagement ring as daytime jewellery
Laura Windsor, dubbed the Queen of Etiquette, runs an Etiquette Academy at laurawindsoretiquette.com
