Do’s and Don’ts to greet the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Family members

The monarchy has mainly been associated with new times, with many people preferring to come and meet the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and other members of the royal family.

The monarchy has mainly been associated with new times, with many people preferring to come and meet the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and other members of the royal family. To prevent a royal faux pas, many people still adhere to a conventional form.

While shaking hands is completely fine when presented to a monarch, men may choose to do a tiny neck bow (from the head only), while ladies may make a small curtsy.

Even royals bow and curtsy to more senior members of the family, and it’s typical for Kate and others to do a dip when the Queen arrives at a function.

During her March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle discussed her first encounter with the queen, when Prince Harry inquired whether she knew how to curtsy.

Meghan elaborated, “I honestly believed that was what happened outside, and that it was all part of the show. I didn’t believe that was what happened on the inside. ‘But it’s your grandma,’ I protested, and he responded, ‘It’s the Queen.'”

“And I greeted her, and apparently I performed a pretty deep curtsy, and I don’t remember it,” she went on.

If you have the chance to meet the Queen, don’t be too casual and start calling her “Lilibet,” her family’s childhood nickname that inspired Meghan and Prince Harry’s daughter’s name. When addressing the Queen, the proper formal address is “Your Majesty.” You should address her as “Ma’am,” which is pronounced with a short “a,” like in “jam.”

When greeting a male member of the royal family, the title “Your Royal Highness” should be used first, followed by “Sir.” The initial address for female members is “Your Royal Highness,” followed by “Ma’am.”

During a 2018 event where Prince William and Kate visited the charity Centrepoint, fellow lunch guests were given a laminated card outlining how to engage with the royal couple. Handshakes would be initiated by Prince William and Kate, and a “respectful lowering of the head” would be preferred over a bow or curtsy.

According to Chelsea Jenkins, an attendee, Prince William “simply laughed” over the card.

“He mentioned something about modernizing it,” she continued.

If your inner royal fan takes over and you entirely forget the procedure, don’t worry – you won’t be taken to the Tower of London.

When Prince William and Kate visited Wales earlier this year, Nicky Hurst of Country Fare Wholefoods and Fine Cheeses gave the couple a kind greeting when they stopped by the cheese stall at Abergavenny Market.

“They’re beautiful,” Hurst told PEOPLE. “I wasn’t sure what to expect from them or what to label them in terms of titles. They were really calm when I named them ‘Kate’ and ‘Will.'”