Royal Protocol and Etiquette

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by tiaratop

I am curious, can anyone tell me why The Duchess of Cambridge was walking behind the lesser royals before or after the Christmas church service today, it seemed odd to me...

Although the Windsors are top notch when it comes to protocol and precedence, it would be my guess that for the Christmas day service, the walk to church was more as a family than anything else that would require any kind of order. The Queen doesn't even do her red boxes on Christmas day.

[Skippyboo]

There really isn't a order for the walk to church and back. Philip usually leads the way. On the way back, William, Kate, Harry and Sophie were lagging behind because they kept stopping and greeting people.


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[hernameispekka]

I agree with Skippyboo. Kate usually stops a lot to say hi to people and collect gifts so that is a very natural reason for her (among others) to fall behind.

[CyrilVladisla]

King Richard II of England would sit on his throne for hours at a time in silence, while the whole court gathered around him.
If his gaze rested upon a specific person, that individual had to make obeisance to Richard.

[carlota]

in this video from the 70th birthday of CG of sweden, i did notice that madeleine shook hands first, and then chris did so; victoria also took the lead prior to daniel (with estelle being cute and given priority by her mum in shaking hands). sofia, on the other hand, offered her hand before CP could do so.

Hov! Han glemte den lille prinsesse – Ekstra Bladet

[Marty91charmed]

Sofia had to wait for her husband to make thr gesture, right?

Oh well, I guess that the for a child you make a expection

[Jacknch]

Originally Posted by Marty91charmed

Sofia had to wait for her husband to make thr gesture, right?

Oh well, I guess that the for a child you make a expection

The video clearly shows the Bishop offering his hand to Sofia first at the moment she was transferring her handbag and gloves over to the other hand.

It seems that each of the couples did the handshaking in a different way, so I am not sure there was any protocol apart from the order in which the couples came out.

[Isaxon1]

Originally Posted by Jacknch

The video clearly shows the Bishop offering his hand to Sofia first at the moment she was transferring her handbag and gloves over to the other hand.

It seems that each of the couples did the handshaking in a different way, so I am not sure there was any protocol apart from the order in which the couples came out.

If you want to adhere to protocol, you wait until the royal person offers you his or her hand. Bur the SRF is very laid back when it comes to these matters, and so is the Bishop (although he is of noble birth).

[Duc_et_Pair]

The most important protocol is the placing: the King, the Queen, the Crown Princess, Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, etc. That during the passage (many, many, many handshakes!) a royal probably has offered an arm earlier than another royal... That is a minor quibble. Hop hop hop, shake shake shake, is everybody in now? Oh wait, there are 40 people more in the antichambre... That is how it goes.

[tommy100]

I think sometimes we are all guilty of watching too carefully. I imagine Victoria was simply making sure Estelle wasn't overlooked in case it causes a fuss (in the way children can over react to things). In terms of handshaking I imagine they just do whatever they feel is polite. I think its often a case that we place more importance on rank than royal themselves.

[Duc_et_Pair]

As the then Prince of Orange said in 2013: "I am no protocol fetishist", meaning that protocol certainly has a purpose but it must remain workable and human in practice.

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by Osipi

Although the Windsors are top notch when it comes to protocol and precedence, it would be my guess that for the Christmas day service, the walk to church was more as a family than anything else that would require any kind of order. The Queen doesn't even do her red boxes on Christmas day.

what is this red boxes?

[Skippyboo]

The red boxes are boxes with the government paperwork that the Queen has to read.


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[Marty91charmed]

Originally Posted by Jacknch

The video clearly shows the Bishop offering his hand to Sofia first at the moment she was transferring her handbag and gloves over to the other hand.

It seems that each of the couples did the handshaking in a different way, so I am not sure there was any protocol apart from the order in which the couples came out.

Thank you. I hadn't noticed that and thought that there was some sort of protocol break only for Estelle who is a child.

[Spheno]

Originally Posted by Marty91charmed

Thank you. I hadn't noticed that and thought that there was some sort of protocol break only for Estelle who is a child.

Highest ranking person (of the blood royal) shakes hands first (in fact, people greet highest ranking person first), then his/her consort (royal by marriage) shakes hands.
Some royals strictly follow this protocol, for example, prince Philip never greets people before the queen.
But, for example, Queen Maxima, then arrives by car, usually doesn't wait her husband and rushes to shake hands first.
Of course, all protocols are for adults

[Marty91charmed]

Originally Posted by Spheno

Highest ranking person (of the blood royal) shakes hands first (in fact, people greet highest ranking person first), then his/her consort (royal by marriage) shakes hands.
Some royals strictly follow this protocol, for example, prince Philip never greets people before the queen.
But, for example, Queen Maxima, then arrives by car, usually doesn't wait her husband and rushes to shake hands first.
Of course, all protocols are for adults

I know that. But then, I don't understand if the protocol was so strict for the handshake at the Kings' birthday, as there have been a couple of breaches.

[carlota]

a question about ascot:

i am confused as ato the protocol used for riding in the carriages: apparently the carriages order this year was:

carriage 1: Queen of the United Kingdom and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh and guests
carriage 2: Prince Charles of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall and guests
carriage 3: Frederik and Mary accompanied by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sofie Countess of Wessex
carriage 4: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGrL9pUzaLn/

how come F&M didn't go in the second carriage with C&C (heirs to the throne), since they have the same rank, and instead went with E&S? it seems odd to put lord and lady vestey with C&C, having other heir couple attending.... if for some reason lord and lady vestey had to ride with C&C, why weren't F&M sat with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in their carriage, as they are the next in line to the throne?

[Iluvbertie]

Why the Vestey`s went with Charles and Camilla I don`t know but I would guess that the reason why the Danes went in the third carriage is to do with protocol as that meant they were travelling with the monarch`s son rather than grandson - and Frederick himself is a monarch`s son.

In the UK the Line of Succession and the Order of Precedence are two different things with the sons of the monarch who are lower in the Line of Succession being higher in the Order of Precedence compared to the grandsons of the monarch - so Edward his higher in precedence than William.

In the next reign those positions will alter as William and Harry move into the positions of the sons of the monarch while Andrew and Edward will move to the position of the brothers of the monarch.

[Duc_et_Pair]

That is a good explanation indeed.

Carriage 1
The monarch and her spouse

Carriage 2
The senior son of the monarch and his spouse

Carriage 3
The junior son of the monarch and his spouse

Carriage 4
The grandson of the monarch and his spouse

Edward indeed is -as son of the Queen- higher in precedence than William, despite the last one being the Number Two in the line of succession.

[carlota]

thanks - interesting explanations!
all that is left in my head confusing me is why then the vestey's travelled with charles and camilla, and not frederik and mary... it would seem protocolar to put both heirs together, and a more junior royal with a lord and lady...?