To toast the Queen (or King) correctly at a formal event, the host proposes the "Loyal Toast" with words like "Ladies and gentlemen, the Queen," or a more specific version, and guests respond simply with "The Queen" (or "The King") without clinking glasses, raising their glass to eye level to show respect, following the monarch's lead on whether to drink or just raise the glass, and never adding "Your Majesty" to the toast itself.
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 presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'.
Once accomplished and the guests are standing, the host raises his or her glass and recites the toast without any other words or music. The audience then responds to the toast by repeating "The King" or, in Canada, "Le roi", drinking the toast, and seating themselves once more.
Addressing a British Queen in Person
On presentation to The King or Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Sir' or 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'.
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.
I omitted obey from my vows.
While "nicest" is subjective, polls consistently show Prince William and Princess Catherine (Kate) as the most popular and positively viewed royals, often praised for their warmth, dedication, and resilience, with Princess Anne frequently cited for her down-to-earth, no-nonsense, and hardworking nature, making her a strong contender for "nicest" in terms of perceived authenticity.
In his book, Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants (via The Daily Mail) royal author Tom Quinn claimed that Harry and William called Queen Camilla "Lady Macbeth," "Cruella de Vil" and the "Witch of the West" as teenagers.
In his first speech as monarch, he addressed the nation, saying, "Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today."
The recipient of the toast never drinks or raises a glass.
Doing so is somewhat like patting yourself on the back. Instead, the person being toasted may rise following the toast and respond with a word of thanks or by offering another toast.
All members of the royal family, including those with His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles, bow or curtsy to the monarch and his wife when greeting them for the first time in a while — even his children!
All royals are expected to bow or curtsy to the sovereign and his wife, King Charles and Queen Camilla. Since he ascended to the throne, Prince William and Princess Kate have been seen formally greeting the monarch with a bow and curtsy on multiple occasions.
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. And while you're in Royal company, remember never to turn your back on the Queen.
On first address: Your Majesty. Thereafter: Sir (King) or Ma'am (Queen). As with writing, replace 'you' and 'your' (singular) with 'Your Majesty' or and 'Your Majesty's'.
It is Prince Andrew, however, who remains the least popular royal, with nine in ten Britons (89%) now seeing the Duke of York negatively.
Some say the dueling duchesses disliked one another from day one. Others say the war began when the combatants clashed over preparations for Meghan's wedding. Whatever the case, a new poll indicates that when it comes to popularity in the UK, Meghan is no contest for Kate.
Elizabeth of York was renowned as a great beauty for her time, with regular features, tall in stature, and a fair complexion, inheriting many traits from her father and her mother Elizabeth Woodville, who was considered at one point the most beautiful woman in the British Isles.
Diana told Morton she said, “Camilla, I would just like you to know that I know exactly what is going on. I obviously am in the way and it must be hell for both of you, but I do know what is going on. Don't treat me like an idiot.”
In these moments, Diana would often keep her chin tucked and her head slightly down, making it harder for the photographers to get a clear shot. This subtle act helped her regain some control over her public image and shielded her from the overwhelming exposure that came with being part of the royal family.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
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.
Meghan Markle has publicly shared that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a serious and rare condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurred after childbirth, describing it as a "huge medical scare". She revealed this on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the disorder, which can happen weeks after delivery and impact new mothers' ability to care for their newborns.
The 3-2-1 sleep rule is a simple wind-down routine: stop eating and drinking alcohol 3 hours before bed, stop working/mentally stimulating activities 2 hours before, and turn off screens (phones, TVs) 1 hour before sleep, helping you transition to rest by reducing stimulants and preparing your mind and body. It's often part of a larger 10-3-2-1-0 rule, which also adds no caffeine 10 hours prior and no hitting snooze (0) in the morning.