She minds their Ps and their Qs

Etiquette coach Noel Butler’s lifelong interest in the proper way of doing things began in her English hometown of Windsor. “As a child, we were constantly going to Windsor Castle,” she says. “In those days, it was free to walk all around the battlements and a small amount of money to go in and see the dolls’ house or the state apartment. So I was brought up loving history. I mean, if you’re born in Windsor with a great big imposing castle there, you’d be very hard pushed not to be interested.”

Trained as a ballerina, a historical dancer and a gymnast, Butler was never content to learn the steps unless she knew the history behind them. “I used to always ask why, and a lot of things became clear,” she says. “For example, in ancient times, they wore hose and tunics, the men. Now, they didn’t have underwear as we know it today. And of course, you’d keep a very straight back as you did your honor or your bow because if you didn’t, your tunic would ride up to show your nether regions with no underwear. So this started my interest in how traditions had started.”

Recently, Butler instilled some 16th century manners in Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman on the set of “The Other Boleyn Girl,” due in theaters Feb. 29. “I sometimes think that there’s a lot to be said for fearing the fact you could have your head chopped off,” says Butler. “And perhaps a few people in today’s society might live slightly more polite lives if they knew the chance of having their head chopped off still existed!”

All you can eat: In the 1500s, nowhere were bad manners more obvious than at the table. “These big banquets and occasions would start at lunchtime and go on literally for hours and hours and hours, and they’d have about 18 to 34 courses,” says Butler. “Once or twice [during filming] I’d pick up a bread roll, and I’d say, ‘Um, I’m sorry, but this looks a little bit too 21st century. Could we swap this one here?’ And we had a lot of discussions as to who would be sitting next to whom and where they would be placed.”

The dancing queen: Tudor dances fall well outside of the standard curriculum of contemporary ballroom dancing classes. “You have processional pavanes to introduce yourself, to be paraded, to hope that you will be the next person invited to court, heaven help your head in Henry’s time. And men, as they still do now, tried to peacock themselves and outshine another man.”

The shape of things: Despite yards of fabric, the fairer sex couldn’t get away with any funny business under their skirts. “I can honestly say that one of the most interesting points was different actors or actresses who’d say to me, ‘Oh, but it doesn’t matter how I do my honor or how I curtsy, because you can’t see my feet anyway because they’re covered by a dress,’ ” says Butler. “And I would point out, ‘Well, it does matter, because it will change the shape of how the dress hangs if you do it a certain way.’ And this began to be noted, that it was changing the shape.”

Talking a blue streak: Before long, the cast began to share Butler’s obsession. “I had Scarlett Johansson asking me one day, ‘Why do they talk about blue blood?’ ” recalls Butler. “And so I said, ‘Well, it’s because when you look at your veins, you look as if your veins are blue and, in fact, it’s not until you cut it that the blood comes out red.’ So she said, ‘Yes, but why do aristocracy particularly have blue blood?’ And I said, ‘Because the Moors, they were darker skinned, so their veins didn’t look as blue as a very pale-veined aristocrat’s did.’ And it was amazing the questions they were asking me once they had their appetite whet by playing the roles and being in this era.”