The Queen is here in Canada for a Royal Tour, 2010. I admire the lady for what she has done and continues to do. She gives the world an image to look up to, someone who can be admired and she is leadership (no one is asking her to lead troops into battle, there is a lot more to leadership than that). I’d like to thank her for coming to Canada. Most of all I’d like to let her know I am glad she is still around and still leading.
Do you know the protocol/ etiquette for meeting the Queen? I’ve heard bits here and there but never actually looked it up. Some of the things I had heard were:
- You never speak to the Queen before she speaks to you.
- You always curtsey or bow to the Queen.
- You do not touch the Queen until she notices you and then shakes your hand or in some other way touches you.
These all make pretty simple sense. The Queen is not a young thing and does not really want someone running up and jumping all over her with their enthusiasm in meeting or seeing her. Bob Barker asked for the same kind of consideration as the host of the Price is Right. So, it is not asking too much to give the Queen some space as well as some respect. In the case of the Queen it is also, of course, a question of security. She makes herself available to the public which must be just a bit scarier in this day and age.
I did find some information online about the protocol for meeting the Queen.
Globe and Mail: Royal Protocol Tips (video)
BBC News: Preparing Oneself for Tea with the Queen
Government of Canada site: Canadian Heritage: Meeting the Queen and Members of the Royal Family
The Official Website of the British Monarchy
The Monarchist League of Canada
I did not read too much about letting her speak first, but I know I have heard that before. I can imagine it would be the rule of protocol most often broken. It would be very hard to meet the Queen and have so much bubbling up that you would like to say. Most likely it would be nothing too new, people are happy and proud to meet her and no doubt have said so many times. But, if you had to remain silent, at least until spoken to, you could still say everything with your eyes.
Think of all the ways our eyes express our emotions, our thoughts and intentions. Make a list of emotions: happy, sad, angry, curious, cautious, etc and describe how your eyes (and only your eyes) would show each mood to the reader.