Looking at the red carpet arrivals for Monday's Golden Globes, it appeared Beyonce, nominated for her song Spirit from The Lion King, had skipped the event.

However, it was later revealed the performer snuck in an hour after the ceremony had started. She was spotted standing in the aisle with husband Jay-Z as comedian Kate McKinnon presented Ellen DeGeneres with the Carol Burnett Award before taking their seats as DeGeneres walked up to the stage.

Although the couple have not commented on why they missed so much of the night, pictures posted to Beyonce's Instagram account show them holding a private red carpet of sorts, posing for their own pictures before heading to the ceremony.

It does beg the question: if you're not Beyonce, how late is too late to arrive at a party?

"There really is no difference between a seated or standing function when it comes to arriving on time; it is important to always be on time," advises Treska Roden from Sydney's International College of Etiquette. "To be late is disrespectful. However, arriving late for a seated function is going to cause more discomfort to the host and the other guests than a standing function."

Roden says it is appropriate to arrive five to 10 minutes after the start time of a party or dinner party. But, at an event with assigned seating and formalities, you need to be there when people take their seats.

Good Manners etiquette coach Anna Musson agrees with the dinner party advice, giving 10 minutes after the time on the invitation as her guide for a polite arrival.

"To arrive on time is a faux pas and to be early is unforgivable," she says. "Picture yourself at the start time of a dinner party, possibly not yet dressed or scrubbing the loo."

In the event you are running unavoidably late (or losing track of the time during your rooftop Instagram shoot), Roden says you need to find the host and apologise, but do not give an excuse.

"This minimises your responsibility … just say, 'I am very sorry I am late' and mean it."

Musson recommends phoning ahead if you know you are going to be late for an event with a strict start time or where people will wait for your arrival, such as a restaurant booking.

"When you arrive, apologise for being late and refrain from mentioning it again," she says. "Get busy with being helpful and participatory and leave it at that. To continually apologise or refer to 'the trains' or 'blasted traffic' is distasteful and unnecessary."

But, if you're late for, say, an industry awards night, Musson says Beyonce and Jay-Z's tactic of standing in the aisle while waiting for someone to finish their speech is not ideal.

"Try to arrive during the applause or video presentation and not while someone is speaking. If it is a [theatre] performance you must wait for intermission."

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