Is is true that the words 'toilet' and 'loo' have class connotations in British English?
I am reading 'Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing' by Melissa Mohr; the author claims the words 'toilet' and 'loo' have class connotations in British English. Is that right? Here is the quote from the book.

In Britain, 'toilet' is vulgar in the original sense of the term - it has class connotations, employed by people of the middle class on down. Loo is the word used by upper-class Brits. In a reflection on social class that he composed for the Times of London, the Earl of Onslow admitted that 'I find it almost impossible to force the word toilet between my lips'. ... And when Prince William and Kate Middleton broke up briefly in 2007, the British press blamed it on Kate's mother's use of the word toilet, creating a scandal called, not surprisingly, 'Toiletgate'. The prince could never marry a girl whose mother said 'toilet' (and did other irredeemably middle-class things such as chew gum and say 'Pardon?' instead of 'What?' or 'Sorry?').

Question

Is is true that the words 'toilet' and 'loo' have class connotations in British English?
I am reading 'Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing' by Melissa Mohr; the author claims the words 'toilet' and 'loo' have class connotations in British English. Is that right? Here is the quote from the book.

In Britain, 'toilet' is vulgar in the original sense of the term - it has class connotations, employed by people of the middle class on down. Loo is the word used by upper-class Brits. In a reflection on social class that he composed for the Times of London, the Earl of Onslow admitted that 'I find it almost impossible to force the word toilet between my lips'. ... And when Prince William and Kate Middleton broke up briefly in 2007, the British press blamed it on Kate's mother's use of the word toilet, creating a scandal called, not surprisingly, 'Toiletgate'. The prince could never marry a girl whose mother said 'toilet' (and did other irredeemably middle-class things such as chew gum and say 'Pardon?' instead of 'What?' or 'Sorry?').

Answer

In England, there is an upper class set many of which operate in a separate, parallel world to the rest of us.  They have their own social traditions. You are either a member of this set or not. Even if you use their language, you can't enter this world, though exotic foreigners can sometimes cut across the boundaries to some extent. But the usage of certain words does indicate that you belong to this set.

Answer

Yes but it is really silly snobbery :)

This article confirms the passage you have read ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3341392/Etiquette-expert-reveals-lavatory-says-social-standing.html