HRH King Charles III assumed the British throne at the age of 73, following the death of his mother, HRH Queen Elizabeth II. As a former publicist to both of these heads of state, I have some personal insight into how to communicate with the Royal family.
When meeting a royal, there are rules that must be followed; who can speak first, where to look, how to address people, and whether or not to curtsy. It’s a mysterious world to the uninitiated.
Having dealt with a number of royal visits and events during my career, I find protocols practical, as they help everyone to understand how they should behave.
What are royal protocols?
Royal protocols originate from a time when monarchs were granted an almost divine status. They are a set of instructions to show people how to act and, importantly, help avoid embarrassment for all involved.
Here are a few of the protocols you might be asked to follow during a visit or event with a royal:
Lunch etiquette
If you are at a lunch with His Majesty, one may pick up one’s cup but not the saucer, and put the cup back on the saucer between sips. If the King finishes his cream cheese sandwiches before you, you’ll be expected to stop eating.
Greeting the King
Royalty always offer their hand first, and you should not shake too firmly. Curtsying is a minefield. Etiquette advisor, Jo Bryant, shared excellent advice on the art of a proper curtsy on theduchessdiary.com:
“Put your right foot behind your left foot. Briefly bend the knees with one foot forward, keeping the upper body straight. Repeat when the member of the Royal family leaves.”
I also recommend doing a practice run; if you’re lucky enough for the King to pay a visit, this will normally be organised in advance by Clarence House.
One should never touch the King
There have been signs of this rule relaxing, for example in 2009 when Michelle Obama broke royal protocol by putting her arm around the Queen. Her Majesty returned the gesture by hugging her back. Still, I’d guess that only VIPs (and the brave) can get away with touching the King.
Don’t turn your back on One
Don’t turn your back to the King when in his presence. If this sounds a tad complicated, you’re not alone. It was reported that Meghan Markle needed etiquette lessons, as did Kate Middleton, upon entering into the Royal family.
Writing to His Majesty
The King is shown almost all of his correspondence every day by one of his Private Secretaries. At the time of writing this, the Royal Family website was still not updated as to how to write to the King.
When all is said and done, even heads of state like Barack Obama can get protocol wrong. Watch what happened when he seemingly disrespected the Queen.
These are helpful guidelines not just for the King, but the rest of the royal family, if you have an event or visit with them.
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