Bowing and Curtseying


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Bowing and curtesying is not a sign of subservience but respect. Perfect gentlemen, Louis of Luxembourg and King of Spain. The gentleman does not actually touch with his lips and kiss the ladies' hand.

PS I wonder what language the GD speaks to the Kings of Spain, spanish I guess, I wonder if Stephanie can speak spanish?
 
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carlota said:
thanks for the pic, how charming... it's always nice seeing a person from a young generation curtsying to someone older, but i don't believe we see it very often... so it's refreshing that louis did a proper bow to sofia...
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The handkiss is still very regularly used in Spain. There is a difference however, Spanish gentlemen often bring the hand to their mouth (not touching it with the lips) sometimes this looks a bit rude (due to inconveniency or no practice), little Queen Sofía having her arm forced up high.

There is also a difference in regions (in Andalucía or Madrid there is more oldfashioned decorum than in Catalunya for an example) but also in political backgrounds. Politicians from the PP (conservatives), the current majority, will do a bow (men), eventually a handkiss or a curtsey (women). When you see politicians from the PSOE (Labour) they usually do not bow, handkiss or curtsey but keep it with a polite handshake. Prince Louis did it "the French way": he did not bring the lady's hand to his lips: he brought his lips to the lady's hand.

King Willem-Alexander did it "the Spanish way" to Queen Máxima, he moved her hand to his lips: http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/CA/4F33851697E132A246A61A56F82B.jpg

President Chirac did it (how else?) "the French way" to First Lady Michelle Obama, he moved his lips to her hand: http://wizbangblog.com/images/2005/capt.xlb10404081303.vatican_pope_funeral_xlb104.jpg

Queen Beatrix receives a handkiss "the French way" when she anonimously visited a market: a gentleman moved his lips to her hand: http://www.refdag.nl/polopoly_fs/handkus_van_een_marktkoopman_1_7976!image/8985132.jpg
 
Oops! I stand corrected!!

:innocent: :flowers:
 
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Tiggersk8 said:
Not to mention all the Figure Skaters out there who bow and curtsey at the end of their performances. Both as a form of thanking the Audience and a sign of respect as well.
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Curtsying in skates must be really hard to do, not to mention on slippery ice!
 
mslewis said:
No one should have to bow and scrape to anyone!! That is old fashion and rather silly. Yes, some upper class people had their children curtsy to adults in the 60's but that all died out with the debutante party. It's ridiculous and NOT a sign of respect, it is a sign of subservience and no one is less than anyone else. That is why no American diplomat bows to European royalty. Nancy Reagan did it once and was vilified for it. We are all equal in this world.
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You're entitled to your view, of course.

It's a view which is influenced by the fact that the United States is a republic.

Royalty is predicated on the tacit acknowledgement of past deferences and traditional respect. It's actually not about the individual's merits; rather, it's about respect for the embodiment of authority. In monarchical countries, royalty functions similarly to the way the US flag is viewed by Americans.
 
I do understand the problem people had with Nancy Reagan curtsying to the Queen at the time. As the wife of a sitting POTUS, she should not have done it. It is a sign of disrespect to those that fought for our independence, and the presidency is the embodiment of this. Before or after he was in office, that is her choice. As an American citizen, would I do it, probable because that is the custom in her country. JMO
 
padams2359 said:
I do understand the problem people had with Nancy Reagan curtsying to the Queen at the time. As the wife of a sitting POTUS, she should not have done it. It is a sign of disrespect to those that fought for our independence, and the presidency is the embodiment of this. Before or after he was in office, that is her choice. As an American citizen, would I do it, probable because that is the custom in her country. JMO
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I agree 100%. I remember the incident from the 80's and I thought at the time it was an example of Mrs. Reagan trying too hard. In fact the Chief of Protocol advised her not to do it for exactly the reasons you stated, but for whatever reason she insisted.
 
That certainly does look like a Texas dip. That's definitely a "go big or go home" curtsey!
 
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We're doing pedal exercises in piano right now; we have to press down the damper pedal and let go at precisely the right time; then press down again. We're also doing whole note major and minor chromatic triads with the pedal which you only hold for two beats while keeping the pedal pressed down; letting go of the pedal at the end of the four beats and pressing back down at the next note. I told my teacher how it's like your hands and foot are doing a little curtsy (of course demonstrating what I was talking about by curtsying to her); and she laughed and said that was cute; she'd never thought of it like that before!
 
sarahedwards2 said:
We're doing pedal exercises in piano right now; we have to press down the damper pedal and let go at precisely the right time; then press down again. We're also doing whole note major and minor chromatic triads with the pedal which you only hold for two beats while keeping the pedal pressed down; letting go of the pedal at the end of the four beats and pressing back down at the next note. I told my teacher how it's like your hands and foot are doing a little curtsy (of course demonstrating what I was talking about by curtsying to her); and she laughed and said that was cute; she'd never thought of it like that before!
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This week we got into chromatic triads officially using the pedal and our teacher told the class how the down-up motion of your wrist is like your wrist is doing a little curtsy; without quoting me, but that's OK, we just got started, and we'll get into it more next week.
 
In The Royals, Kitty Kelley wrote:

The Queen greeted her grandmother as always: by kissing her on both cheeks and curtsying. Queen Mary frowned and shook her head, insisting that she be the one to pay homage. Despite crippling arthritis, she dropped in a deep curtsey to her twenty-five-year-old granddaughter, who was now her sovereign.

Princess Elizabeth had learned of her father's death and her elevation to the British throne while on safari in Africa.
She and Prince Philip returned to England.

​
After her marriage to Prince Andrew of Great Britain, Sarah the Duchess of York insisted on receiving public formalities from her family, which meant her father had to bow and her stepmother had to curtsy.
​

In Royal Romance, it was mentioned that after the wedding ceremony of Prince Edward of Kent and Katharine Worsley, Katharine curtsied to Queen Elizabeth II.

After the ceremony, the slow and elegant curtsey worked beautifully, and the Queen and Queen Mother, no doubt knowing the problems it had entailed, smiled their blessings warmly.
​

In Queen Victoria of England's afternoon presentations, a lord-in-waiting would carefully lay out the young lady debutantes' three meter trains with a wand.
The young lady's name would be announced as she entered.
She performed a carefully practiced curtsey and kissed Queen Victoria's hand.
Then the young lady exited backwards, curtseying all the way to the doorway.
​

At the end of the coronation service, the newly crowned Nicholas II and Alexandra of Russia walked from the church wearing brocaded mantles embroidered with the double-headed Imperial eagle.
They climbed the Red Stairway, turned and bowed three times to the crowd. :imperialrussia::imperialrussia::imperialrussia:
​
 
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CyrilVladisla said:
After her marriage to Prince Andrew of Great Britain, Sarah the Duchess of York insisted on receiving public formalities from her family, which meant her father had to bow and her stepmother had to curtsy.
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Surely her mother had to curtsy as well!
 
sarahedwards2 said:
Surely her mother had to curtsy as well!
CyrilVladisla said:
. . . . . After her marriage to Prince Andrew of Great Britain, Sarah the Duchess of York insisted on receiving public formalities from her family, which meant her father had to bow and her stepmother had to curtsy.
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This is the first time I have read of Sarah's OTT behavior. Was it too curtesy of Catty Kitty Kelly or some other reputeable source?
 
Yeah I don't buy that about Sarah requiring her family to curtsey....sounds like tabloid fodder.


LaRae
 
I think that was one of these usual tabloid burp! inventions. Poor Sarah never had a good press. Honesty forces me to say, she often gave them a field day, of course.

I think that almost no one curtsies to the younger generation. Even at Wimbledon the curtsies have been gone, since years already.
 
They changed the rules at Wimbledon. The players only have to bow and curtsey if the Queen or Prince of Wales are in the royal box.

Since Queen never hardly goes and Prince Charles may attend one day, you aren't going to see many.
 
sarahedwards2 said:
Why isn't Crown Princess Radu curtsying?
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Bowing ones head is a form of honour used by men and women towards someone who has died - just as the Queen does when she lays a wreath at the Cenotaph.

Bowing is also a form of greeting used by gentlemen. The female equivalent of a bow for greeting is the curtsey.
 
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