The Graces Academy teaches the social graces that open doors at the highest levels of professional and private life. From formal dining to international protocol, we cultivate poise, confidence, and distinction.
Our Approach
Social mastery is not about rigid rules — it is about the freedom that comes from knowing exactly what to do in any situation.
Every formal environment has rules — diplomatic protocol, royal etiquette, corporate ceremony. We teach students to move through these worlds with ease, knowing that true confidence comes from preparation.
Beyond protocol lies the deeper art of making others feel comfortable, respected, and at ease. We cultivate the social intelligence that transforms good manners into genuine grace — the quality that truly distinguishes great people.
Posture, tone, dress, and self-presentation communicate before a word is spoken. The Graces curriculum includes personal styling, voice coaching, and the refinement of the non-verbal communication that creates lasting impression.
Programmes
A two-day residential covering formal dining, introductions, correspondence, dress codes, and the foundational rules of social etiquette for professional environments at the highest level.
Diplomatic and corporate protocol for senior executives and public figures: state dinners, royal audiences, international business meetings, and the cultural intelligence required for global engagement.
A bespoke etiquette and confidence programme for ages 13–18, covering dining, correspondence, digital etiquette, and the social skills that ease the transition to university, professional life, and global society.
A half-day programme for leadership teams: personal branding, communication refinement, dining protocol for client entertainment, and the executive presence that commands rooms without effort.
Our Setting
The Graces conducts all programmes in authentic high-society settings — private dining rooms of five-star hotels, historic townhouses, and formal reception rooms that create the genuine atmosphere our curriculum requires.
Our London sessions are held in a Georgian townhouse in St James's. Geneva programmes take place in a private lakeside villa. All environments are chosen to immerse students in the world they are learning to navigate.
About Our SettingsJoining Us
Every student begins with a confidential consultation with one of our programme directors. We assess your current comfort in formal environments, identify specific goals, and recommend the ideal programme and cohort.
We ensure every student is placed in a cohort appropriate to their background, age, and objectives. Mixed cohorts are carefully curated to maximise the quality of peer learning alongside direct instruction.
Enrolled students receive our illustrated pre-programme guide covering terminology, dress codes, and the key behavioural frameworks of the programme. Pre-reading ensures the residential time is spent in active practice.
Intensive, immersive, and profoundly personal. Small cohorts of no more than twelve students ensure individual attention. Every exercise — from the formal dinner to the morning introduction ritual — is observed and refined.
All graduates receive a one-month follow-up coaching session. We review your progress, address any remaining questions, and ensure the skills gained during the programme have been naturally integrated into daily life.
Our Heritage
Lady Eleanor Cavendish establishes The Graces to teach the daughters of diplomats and senior executives the social protocols of formal British and European society.
With students arriving from 40 countries, the Academy introduces its International Protocol curriculum covering diplomatic ceremony, cross-cultural business practice, and global social intelligence.
A lakeside campus in Geneva serves the international financial community, with programmes now adapted for the specific protocol demands of banking, diplomacy, and the UN's international organisations.
Corporate demand for etiquette training among senior leadership teams prompts the launch of the Executive Presence programme, now our fastest-growing course with a three-month waiting list.
Graduate Stories
Begin Your Journey
All enrolments begin with a private consultation. We do not publish our full programme schedule publicly — availability is shared with prospective students following an initial conversation with our team.
Corporate and group enquiries are welcome. Bespoke programmes can be arranged for organisations requiring team etiquette training or event-specific preparation.