How To Formally Address British Royalty And Aristocracy In Person?
The British royal family lives by a long list of rules and etiquette. Here are some of them if you want to meet or address them in person.
Imagine opening your mail to find an invitation to Buckingham Palace. While you may be preoccupied with what to wear, you will inevitably need to consider how to approach the King and his family. No one wants to go up unprepared and risk making a wrong impression. Therefore, we should prepare immediately rather than wait for the chance to present itself. Some guidelines on how to adequately address and welcome a member of the royal family are provided in this article. Learn them all by reading on!
Curtsy or bow while meeting someone
Even among the King's subjects, these more formal modes of speech are increasingly rare. If a man is in this position, he should demonstrate respect by bowing his neck slightly. Curtsying involves briefly bending at the knees while keeping the upper body and neck linearly (one foot ahead of the other). Formal curtsies are infrequently seen and take a lot of grace and skill to execute well, yet they could be more impolite. However, a deep waist bow is never performed when speaking to an elder. As you pass other royal family members, you should offer this salutation.
A simple nod or bob will do
Alternatives to the bow and curtsy include a tiny nod (often performed by men) or a bob (shortly bending the knees) (female). This option is only available to those not citizens of the Commonwealth and hence owe no loyalty to the British monarchy.
Don't be the one to extend your hand first
Members of the Royal family believe that a handshake is a proper address. However, you should wait for the member of the Royal Family to extend their hand before shaking very lightly. No physical contact should be started by any party. In a friendly handshake with a woman, men should remove their gloves while women are free to leave them on.
Allow the Royals to take the initiative to a conversation
Please wait for a welcome from a royal family member before striking up a discussion. Avoid asking personal questions or broaching touchy subjects. You need not mimic the King's speech patterns, and you need not worry about offending anyone in the royal family by being who you really are.
Use a formal greeting when you first speak to someone
When addressing a royal family member, it is customary to address them by their formal title. If the King were to ask how you like the place, one reasonable response might be, "It's pretty wonderful, Your Majesty." To address any royal family member, you must first address the monarch.
