Yes, you can shake hands with royals, but you should wait for them to initiate the handshake, as the public traditionally bows (men) or curtsies (women) first, though a handshake is now common, especially with younger royals in less formal settings. There are no mandatory rules, just courtesy, but the key is to never offer your hand first and let the royal lead the physical contact.
The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour - just courtesy. However, many people wish to observe the traditional forms of greeting. 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 meeting a member of the Royal Family, men traditionally bow from the neck, while women curtsy. In more recent times – despite the general no touching rule – it has also become common to shake hands, but only once they've extended their hand to you.
The royals typically shy away from public displays of affection, but apparently that's changing.
Traditionally people aren't allowed to touch a Royal unless one offered their hand.
The British royal family has relaxed their stance on selfies in recent years and will sometimes pose for the photos when members of the public ask.
As Prince William is now the new Prince of Wales, it is possible that his title code word for his possible demise is Operation Menai Bridge. However, it is also entirely possible that they have kept the King's code word the same, to avoid confusion.
Do the royals still sleep in separate beds? It seems many royals still do, from the King and Queen to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Still, while they maintain separate bedrooms, it's fair to say they have sleepovers whenever the mood hits them!
According to Sir William Heseltine, one of Queen's private secretaries, when staying with Her Majesty, members of the royal family should wait until the Queen retires to bed before they also hit the hay.
This one is slightly more obvious. Instead of using “toilet,” royals use the word “loo” when they need to use the facilities. “'Toilet' is French by origin, so it is apparently avoided,” The Mirror writes.
On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'. For male members of the Royal Family the same rules apply, with the title used in the first instance being 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently 'Sir'.
Most importantly, unless you have special permission from the private secretary to do so, you should not leave before the King does. When you do leave, you should avoid turning your back to him.
"We never shook hands," Princess Anne explains in a clip from ITV's Queen of the World. "The theory was that you couldn't shake hands with everybody, so don't start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don't," she added with a laugh.
No cleavage or cold shoulders for the royals
Few royals have brought more attention to the royal dress code than Meghan Markle. From her frequent shunning of stockings, to her signature messy bun, the Duchess of Sussex has frequently drawn fire for all the ways she is breaking the royal rules.
Polite behaviour
Personal questions about salary, wealth, weight or age is generally regarded as impolite. It is considered rude to spit in public and to try to sound British or imitate their accent. If you are standing in a queue, you should always queue up and wait your turn.
The "baby brain" comment refers to a widely reported incident from Prince Harry's memoir Spare, where Meghan Markle allegedly told Kate Middleton she must have "baby brain because of her hormones" following Kate's birth of Prince Louis in 2018, causing a significant rift because Kate found the comment offensive, leading to a dispute about appropriate ways to speak within the Royal Family, although Meghan viewed it as a lighthearted comment she'd use with friends.
When they return, it's straight into pre-lunch drinks." One reason mooted for the separation of the sexes is that it gives the female royals more time to prepare hair and make up for the highly photographed church service.
Why was Diana a princess after her wedding but Kate was a duchess? “Diana was immediately Princess of Wales because it was her husband's most senior title,” explains Koenig. Kate, on the other hand, went by duchess after her husband became a duke on their wedding day.
Yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in the same bed, often with their dog Orla, a revelation Prince William shared, highlighting a more modern, relatable approach to royal life compared to past generations who sometimes used separate beds for status or privacy. While they have separate bedrooms for some downtime and might use separate beds when traveling on the royal train due to its layout, their usual arrangement at home is together, with their dog as a regular bedfellow.
And they do seem to bow and curtsy in private. It's really what their lives are all about- ranking and titles.
Share this: Queen Elizabeth II's strict bedtime routine saw the monarch clocking in at least eight and a half hours of sleep every night. Her nightly ritual saw Her Majesty hit the pillow no later than 11PM, rising at around 7.30AM for a busy day of engagements.
Royal protocol advises that George will no longer be allowed to fly with his father, Prince William. Heirs are required to fly separately to preserve the line of succession should an accident occur while they are traveling. William, 43, is heir to the throne.
Meghan Markle Calls the British Royals 'The Firm. ' Here's Why.
To protect Princess Diana's wedding dress design, the creators used a secret code name, “Deborah Cornwall,” during the process. Diana's title as Duchess of Cornwall inspired the code name, though she chose to go by Princess of Wales instead.