Prepare to be posh for our royal guests (+quiz)

If you come in to contact with Kate Middleton and Prince William when they're in town are you prepared to be posh? Photo / AP

If you run into Prince William and Kate - or Prince George - during their 18-day sojourn in Australia and New Zealand, don't lose your head - or refer to the Queen as "your grandma".

Should you happen to come into royal contact, UK etiquette expert William Hanson, author of The Bluffer's Guide To Etiquette, has some tips to help you act more like a toff.

"Being common is so 2013," says Hanson, who describes himself as "24 going on 54" and "a teacup and saucer in a world of mugs".

"For 2014, it's all about good manners, being polite to the person who just pushed in front of you in the queue, and knowing how to greet the Queen properly when you do meet her."

The royals' schedule is busy, but the couple are likely to mingle with locals at dinners, events, fetes and shows.

Check out the New Zealand royal schedule here.

So here are Hanson's top tips on being a toff:

Dining - Pudding v Dessert. The final course of a dinner is "pudding" - never "dessert". If you call your lemon posset with spun sugar basket a dessert when dining with the hoity toity, you might as well prepare for a future of dining at all-you- can-eat buffet restaurants where you can help yourself to the dessert buffet for all eternity.

Introductions - Never say "pleased to meet you" when greeting a stranger. Rather, say, "How do you do?" If you don't know who they are, can you be sure you really are pleased to meet them?

Meeting people - Review your handshake. Try to avoid being a wet fish or a bone crusher. People judge others on the quality of their handshake.

Social occasions - Avoid attending Facebook parties. If you're invited anywhere by Facebook, don't go. It won't be worth it and you'll probably be served beer in the bottle or be given wine that hasn't been decanted.

Quiz: How posh are you? Click here to find out.

* The Bluffer's Guide To Etiquette by William Hanson is available for Kindle and iPad at the iBookstore and Amazon.co.uk, or in print at www.bluffers.com. See www.williamhanson.co.uk for more.