What in no case should you do at a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain
What in no case should you do at a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain

Video: What in no case should you do at a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain

Video: What in no case should you do at a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain
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Over the many years of the existence of Great Britain as a kingdom, certain rules of etiquette have developed there in the presence of the Queen. These rules are especially strict for people outside the royal circle. Of course, no one will be put in the Tower for violating them today, but public outrage is guaranteed.

At a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain
At a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain

So how not to get into a mess, suddenly you have the opportunity to meet in person with Queen Elizabeth II. First of all, it should be noted that if you are invited to Buckingham Palace, in any case you will be given a conversation and instruction on what you can and cannot do, what you should wear and what you can and cannot say.

The Queen leaves the Sandringham Women's Institute
The Queen leaves the Sandringham Women's Institute

But there are several rules that are known without personal consultation with business etiquette experts. Most importantly, do not touch the queen in any way. You can shake her hand, but only if she proposes to you. In 2000, the president of the University of Waterloo in Canada, David Johnston, failed to cope with this rule. Descending the stairs next to the queen, he held her slightly by the elbow. As Johnston himself later explained, this was an intuitive move, dictated by the usual concern for the safety of the queen. However, in the history of Great Britain, Johnston remained as "a man who does not know the protocol of conduct."

Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Winston Churchill in 1955
Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Winston Churchill in 1955

Of course, at meetings with the public, members of the royal family can afford to say hello to someone or hug someone, but in such cases they should be the initiators of such contacts.

Another strict rule is never to be late for an appointment. Arriving later than the queen and leaving the meeting before her is a clear statement of disrespect. Leaving the hall before the queen herself is possible only with her own desire or permission - the queen will give a sign to her secretary, who in turn will inform the visitor about it.

The Queen hosts the President of Mexico, 2015
The Queen hosts the President of Mexico, 2015

Another strict "no" - never turn your back on the queen. If you are invited by several people, you should not become a straight line, but a small semicircle, so that each person faces Her Majesty.

The Queen received bouquets of flowers from schoolchildren as at during her visit to the church on Easter
The Queen received bouquets of flowers from schoolchildren as at during her visit to the church on Easter

In addition, when meeting with the queen, you cannot hold anything in your hands. Of course, long before meeting Her Majesty, the security service will politely ask you to leave all documents and any other items outside the meeting room. So forget about the opportunity to give the Queen a commemorative magnet or something else, unless it was agreed in advance and you were not given approval for such a gift.

Queen Elizabeth II in Brisbane City, 1982
Queen Elizabeth II in Brisbane City, 1982

What about selfies? You shouldn't count on him either. Within the confines of Buckingham Palace, no one from the royal family will take a selfie with guests - even an offer to take such a photo will be perceived with surprise and bewilderment. Outside the palace, the rules are less strict, but you shouldn't count on a shared selfie, especially with the queen.

Easter 2019
Easter 2019

The general rule of conduct at a meeting with the Queen of Great Britain is that you do not need to be an initiator, you just need to follow what Her Majesty is doing and asks for. You should not be the first to start a conversation, you should not get up from the table before the queen does, you should not start eating before the queen picks up the cutlery.

President Gerald Ford dances with Queen Elizabeth II at a dinner in her honor, 1976
President Gerald Ford dances with Queen Elizabeth II at a dinner in her honor, 1976

What if you suddenly accidentally did something wrong? The main thing is not to panic. Usually, a simple "excuse me" is enough to defuse the situation. After all, the queen also has her own secret signals, and if the interlocutor is bored with her or behaves too inappropriately, the servant will immediately react and help resolve the situation.

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