About Us

The English Manner is a unique British-based company with associate offices in Toronto and New York. Established in 2001 and incorporating over 80 years of collective experience in protocol, etiquette and private household & estate management. We have worked with the first internationally recognised luxury hotel in the Middle East, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group in the USA, Orient Express hotels, and the Four Seasons Hotel group to name a few of our corporate clients, putting together comprehensive assessment, training and mentoring programmes for management and staff.

Noted for our attention to detail, our private clients are spread across the age range, from young children learning social skills for the first time to relocating and aspiring business executives, company Chairmen who wish to brush up on much used but perhaps tired social skills, and international families who are setting up homes and households in unfamiliar territory, weighed down by the perception of foreign protocol and do's and don'ts.

Alexandra Messervy, the founder of The English Manner, began her career in the Royal Household of Her Majesty The Queen and our tutors are drawn from the very finest in their field. With many years experience in the luxury hospitality market, we are able to advise and consult with staff planning, operation practices and personalised training. We also offer premium search and recruiting services within the luxury hotel and residential markets.

The English Manner works with clients to reinforce long-standing traditions of manners with modern practices, to create standards of excellence which are second to none, beyond comparison with any rival, which exceed any expectation, and which set the standard to which others can only aspire.

Our private client list is strictly confidential and includes international entrepreneurs, families, VIPs and royalty in the UK, Middle East, Europe, Russia and North America.

Previously a consultant to the world famous finishing school, Lucie Clayton, Alexandra brings over 25 years experience in etiquette, protocol and event planning and began her career in the Royal Household of Her Majesty The Queen. Alexandra enhanced her entertaining and social skills development knowledge working latterly for other members of the Royal Family and on several well known charitable committees before founding The English Manner in 2001. During her career, she has regularly consulted with VIP residential households and hospitality clients in the areas of staffing, training, planning and management and is recognised for her attention to detail and exceptionally high standards. She has contributed to several books and television programmes.

Alexandra was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2001 in recognition of her contribution to education.

William joined The English Manner in 2008. He began teaching etiquette from an early age and has gained much experience in teaching manners and protocol to schools and businesses. He has worked with and advised large companies such as Fox’s Biscuits, National Lottery, easyGroup, and Elizabeth Shaw Chocolatiers. He has worked within VIP households and trained business professionals, schoolchildren, and diplomats alike. A perennial voice on the BBC, William comments on matters of taste and critiques social trends for a wide-range of media outlets including Tatler and the Financial Times. He is now a blogger for leading news & opinion website The Huffington Post.

Formerly a BBC newsreader, Diana brings years of first-rate communication and presentation skills to The Household Academy. In the mid-eighties, Diana left her successful career in broadcasting to start training in etiquette and media coaching. In 2005 she was asked to devise a ‘finishing’ programme to improve manners for young ladies and a year later she introduced the first finishing school for gentleman, in Scotland. Diana works all over the world with a wide-range of clients that include MPs, senators, lawyers and TV presenters as well as organisations such as BT, Royal SunAlliance, BBC TV, health authorities and privatised utilities.

The English Manner is pleased to be working in partnership with Diana's company Public Image.

John joined forces with The English Manner in 2003 and has over ten years' experience developing and presenting business etiquette seminars. Combining a business education with professional household management certification, John delivers essential skills training along with his key message of business etiquette and protocol. Across the world from California to Dubai, John has taught service skills in five and seven star hotels and exclusive clubs, in private homes and aboard luxury yachts. Management consulting firms employ John's skills to groom candidates seeking career change as well as improving their own consultants' business etiquette skills.

John received his formal protocol and etiquette training from The Protocol School of Washington and holds relevant university degrees. He has appeared as an etiquette expert on television and various publications have featured John's columns on trends and issues of etiquette.

Barbara comes to The English Manner straight from a senior position in the Royal Household's housekeeping department. She brings with her years of experience in first-rate housekeeping, cleaning and household management. Before she joined the Royal Household, Barbara was in the Communications division of Women's Royal Naval Service.

Reena brings over 40 years' experience in household management and childcare development. Having managed and run private households of note for many years, she conducts skills training which is second to none and is noted for her exacting standards in all aspects of household and childcare, with particular emphasis on traditional housekeeping and nanny skills, perceived by many to be 'old-fashioned' but without doubt the backbone of the finest methods.

Louisa has 18 years' experience running a highly sucessful design consultancy, specialising in interior and exhibition design. She joined forces with The English Manner at the start of 2010 as Motivational Mentor. With a foundation degree in garden and landscape design, Louisa has several blue chip clients who have all benefited from her unique abilities. Throughout her career, Lousia realised that you must deal with the person as a whole and in doing so release their potential. Lousia has now taken a more holistic course and has studied complimentary qualifications in coaching and Reike.

Marketing director for the Barboursville vineyards in Virginia, USA. Jason has contributed to many media articles and television programmes, and is a columnist for 'Men's Health' magazine. He is contributing writer to Maxim, The Washingtonian and Virginia Living. Jason is the acclaimed author of 'The Modern Gentleman', and has worked with The English Manner for various international clients.

Genie graduated with honours from the University of Maryland with a degree in Journalism, and began her career as a reporter for small newspapers on the remote Eastern Shore of Maryland. She began to work in the hospitality industry after moving to California for a time. She returned to the East Coast and established her firm as a small but highly successful company known for the quality of its services and personal attention to its clients. Under Genie’s leadership, Print Management has grown without losing its identity as a small but determined band of professionals. Print Management is a green company—all of its employees telecommute from home and this has given the business its unique character as a group of likeminded but independent individuals who share a common purpose. Genie works with The English Manner overseeing our US marketing and print-design.

At present located in Tianjin municipality, NE China, Christopher is acting as a consultant to introduce Chinese and Asian clientele to the exclusive services of The English Manner. Having graduated from the University of Nottingham, he then moved temporarily to Shanghai to gain experience in the engineering and project management industry, and to attend Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Currently balancing employment in the education industry teaching private businessman and VIP clients 'English as a Foreign Language' and European cultural practises, with a further personal commitment to studying Chinese literature and the Mandarin language, Christopher has travelled extensively within China - notably having represented a partner of The English Manner in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

The English Manner tutors are drawn from the finest in their fields. We work with only the best - from 'English as a Foreign Language' and world-leading hospitality etiquette tutors for corporate and private individuals and households to Royal vintners; the best florists; cordon-bleu trained cooks and award winning garden designers. Only the best will do.