There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small
For female members of The Royal Family who hold the title Her Royal Highness: "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion, and then "Ma'am." For male members of The Royal Family who hold the title His Royal Highness: "Your Royal Highness" on the first occasion and "Sir" thereafter.
First greet the queen as "her majesty," then as "ma'am." "You should always be very careful when you meet the queen that you actually don't refer to her as 'her royal highness. ' Her title should be 'her majesty' and after that say 'ma'am,'" Gauger said. Do not bow or curtsy.
Curtsy/bow
It is up to those meeting The King and other members of the Royal Family to choose whether or not they wish to bow/curtsey or simply shake hands. General courtesy dictates that these gestures of greeting are the most appropriate and always welcomed.
The main rule to follow when meeting the queen
Arguably, the most important thing to remember is that you should never touch the monarch and only shake his hand if she offers it.
For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way. On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'.
Don't talk unless spoken to, sit until she sits or begin eating until she does. Form semi-circles. If you are presented to Her Majesty at a Royal event it is likely you will be marshalled into position in a series of semi-circles rather than straight lines. Guests should try to be empty-handed, Debrett's adds.
There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.
Leave a floral tribute
At Buckingham Palace, dedicated sites have been set up in Green Park and Hyde Park. At Windsor Castle, they can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk. At the Royal Family's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, flowers can be left at the Norwich Gates.
Commoners aren't supposed to touch royals unless royals initiate contact. Celebrities like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Allison Janney, and Ed Sheeran have slipped up. It's OK, though. Royals are forgiving and usually enjoy the change of pace.
Traditionally, when greeting a member of the British royal family, men bow their heads and women do a small curtsy, according to the royal family's website. Little footage exists of the queen bowing to others, though AP footage shows she bowed her head as Princess Diana's funeral procession passed by in 1997.
Even royals bow and curtsy to the monarch.
All royals are expected to bow or curtsy to the sovereign and his wife, King Charles and Queen Camilla. Since he ascended to the throne, Prince William and Princess Kate have been seen formally greeting the monarch with a bow and curtsy on multiple occasions.
Just as public citizens do when meeting a royal, it's common to see members of the family showing respect while greeting each other — men bow their heads while women dip into a curtsy.
There are various ways to contact The Queen. General enquiries can be made by telephone during working hours: (+44) (0)20 7930 4832.
Prince William defied royal protocol at the King's Coronation when he chose not to bow to Queen Camilla at the Coronation Concert.
Westminster Hall is open to the public to pay respects to the Queen. The government has set out guidelines on how people should behave when they are paying their respects to the Queen, including what to wear inside the Palace of Westminster.
The public will be able to walk past the queen's coffin to pay their respects starting at 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
Around a quarter of a million people paid their respects in person to the Queen by viewing her coffin as it lay in state in London.
Kate Middleton's decision not to curtsy to Queen Camilla was a clear indication of her disapproval of King Charles' wife and her mishandling of his coronation, according to sources.
Give a head bow or a curtsy.
If you're male, you should do a neck bow. This simply means bowing by nodding your head. If you're female, do a small curtsy. This means dipping your body downward slightly by bending your knees.
Even in nations such as the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein and Monaco which still, in theory, permit their monarch to withhold assent to laws, the monarch almost never does so, except in a dire political emergency or on advice of government.
Everyone that isn't an immediate member of the royal family has to refer to the monarch by her official title. That includes politicians, heads of state, and even royalty from other countries. There was, historically, one exception to this rule.
Historically, the title of king has usually been reserved for an active monarch. Some spouses of queens have been given the title of kings and gone on to co-rule with their wives, but other queens declared their husbands prince consorts and ruled on their own.