The Protocol Thread

[BeatrixFan]

Meeting Royalty

A few of us have been discussing meetings with Royalty.

A few famous meetings;

Sir Noel Coward, Actor, Writer, Legend

Sir Noel and the Queen Mother were walking in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. A long line of soldiers in their busbies were standing to attention recieving a talk. The Queen Mother and Sir Noel walked past and the Queen Mother noticed Noel's eyes flickering up and down each soldier. She turned to him and said, "I wouldn't if I were you Noel - they count them when they put them out".

Tommy Cooper, Comedian

Tommy Cooper was in the line up after a Royal Variety Performance and waited for the Queen to come up and shake his hand. "Do you think I was funny?", he said to her. "Yes Tommy, I did", said the Queen. "You really thought I was funny?", said Tommy. "Yes of course, we laughed alot", said the Queen. "Did your mother think I was funny", asked Tommy. "Yes we both thought you were very very funny Tommy", replied the Queen. He then leaned forward and said, "Can I ask you a personal question Ma'am?". "Yes but I might not be able to give you a full answer", said the Queen. "Do you like football?", said Tommy. "Well not really", HM replied puzzled. "Well, in that case", said Tommy, "Can I have your Cup Final Tickets?"

April Ashley, Transsexual Pioneer

April Ashley was modelling in swinging sixties London. An elderly Princess Marina went along to a fashion show and was introduced to the models. Ashley gave a deep curtsey when there was a ripping noise and her train caught stopping her from coming up. Marina thought that she was after some recognition ; "Yes - Very Good Dear", she said, "You can get up off of the floor now".
April then went on to own a nightclub. When at a party, she met Princess Margaret. "Ma'am", she said, "Why don't you come to my club sometime?". Margaret smiled and said, "Of Course. I'd love to. I'll send someone along". April didn't think and said, "Why? Have you got to case the joint first?" - Margaret never went.

June Whitfield, Comedienne and Actress

June Whitfield was at BBC TV Centre when the Queen made her Jubilee visit. June Whitfield was made a CBE some time before and so wore her decoration. As the Queen came up to her, she curtseyed very deeply and when she came up - the Queen had moved on along the line and June was left smiling at thin air!

Have you met Royalty? What did you do?

 

[tiaraprin]

I had the good fortune a few months ago to meet Her Highness, Princess Alexandra Galitzine. She is quite a nice lady.


Courtesy of:
http://www.galitzine.biz/main.html

The Official Coat of Arms for the Galitzine Family:

 

[corazon]

In nomvember 2004 I meet Sarah ferguson in argentina, I could not move by the emotion, but my friend gave to SARAH a poster with a diana's photo that I made the night before.
Was a really nice day, I cry for hours.

 

[tiaraprin]

In nomvember 2004 I meet Sarah ferguson in argentina, I could not move by the emotion, but my friend gave to SARAH a poster with a diana's photo that I made the night before.
Was a really nice day, I cry for hours.

Que bonita Corazon! Que suerte Usted tiene en conocer a la Duquesa de York! Yo lloraria tambien.

Translation: How nice Corazon! How lucky you are to have met the Duchess of York! I would cry too.

 

[corazon]

she is adorable, very human!
This is THE moment.
Photo source: my own.

 

[yvr girl]

I assume that their children and grandchildren use the regular terms. I would also assume that her first cousins call her Elizabeth or Lillibet.
What about her cousins' children? I just can't see Lady Gabriella or Lord Nicholas etc calling her by her first name.
What about Camilla, Sophie and Tim - do they call her mum?

 

[Sister Morphine]

In public, or when in the middle of some royal function, I would imagine they say Your Majesty/Your Royal Highness. When in private and at home, I would think Grandmum/Granddad, Mum/Dad....that sort of thing.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Not sure about what they call one another but I do know that all of her family except the Duke of Edinburgh kiss the Queen on each cheek before bowing or curtseying, even her children.

 

[yvr girl]

But what about more distantly related family members

In public, or when in the middle of some royal function, I would imagine they say Your Majesty/Your Royal Highness. When in private and at home, I would think Grandmum/Granddad, Mum/Dad....that sort of thing.

Some are easy. I'm sure Vicount Lindley and Lady Sarah call her Aunt Elizabeth/Aunt Lillibet.

What about the junior Kents and Gloucesters?

(I'm talking in private. Even her children are very formal in public.)

 

[Sister Morphine]

Well, I mentioned what they'd say to her in private. I hardly think Charles calls her "Your Majesty" when they are not in a public or formal role.
As for the Kents and Gloucesters, I would imagine in private, they'd call her whatever their familial affiliation to her is.

 

[Elspeth]

If Prince Charles's speech at her golden jubilee celebration, where he started with "Your Majesty - Mummy" is any guide, he calls her "Mummy" in private, and I assume his siblings would do likewise. I don't know about the other members of the family, although I should think, since Princess Margaret called her Lilibet, that her two children call the Queen Aunt Lilibet, but that's just a guess.

 

[Chiyo]

I'm guessing they'd also tack on a "ma'am" on the end when appropriate.

 

[Madame Royale]

I'm guessing they'd also tack on a "ma'am" on the end when appropriate.

I wouldn't think members of her family would call her Ma'am in any instance, other than when in public.

Mummy, Aunt lilibet, Granny and Cabbage are all safe bets

 

[ysbel]

I remember reading where Princess Anne as a teenager rebelled against curtseying to the Queen each morning before breakfast. I'm thinking that if it was expected behavior for her to curtsey to the Queen before breakfast, it would also not be surprising if they were expected to call her Ma'am.

I believe Your Majesty is only used when public officials address the Queen in public in a long speech or toast and even then they don't repeat saying Your Majesty throughout the speech; they switch to Ma'am.

 

[branchg]

The Queen is The Queen. I am sure they only use Ma'am unless they are talking to her privately one on one.

 

[Madame Royale]

I don't believe that HM's grandchildren woud be expected to call her ma'am when in private and in numbers (family gatherings etc).
Your Majesty upon being admitted to the presence certainly, but ma'am thereafter? I wouldn't think so.
Didn't Zara not long back disclose the relaxed nature, when interacting with her grandmother (family members in general) behind closed doors?

Infact, here it is
Ride of her life | Saturday Magazine | Arts | Telegraph

quote
'Yeah, I curtsy to her every time I see her. The thing with my grandmother is she's still my grandmother, and she's very approachable, but she is also from that era where that was how it was done. But there aren't that many people around any more who know how it's done. I know because I've grown up with it.'
.

 

[Elspeth]

The last part of ysbel's post was referring to public officials, not family. I'm sure the Queen's immediate family don't call her Ma'am in private. Heck, if Queen Victoria's grandchildren called her Gan-Gan, I doubt the Queen would get away with "Ma'am" even if that's how she wanted the grandchildren to address her!

 

[Madame Royale]

Oh I wasn't responding to anyone's post inparticular, Elspeth
Just expressing my thoughts.

 

[sophie25]

I have read from varying sources that the Kents and Gloucesters call her Lilibet but their spouses always call her Maam. It would seem that the second cousins such as Helan Windsor etc are also allowed the privillage of calling her Lilibet. A few years ago some gift tags from Christmas gifts given by the Royals to each other came up for sale (I think they were spirited away by servants when the wrapping paper was cleared up on Christmas Eve and they were later sold) and I remember one was from the Earl of St. Andrews to the Queen but it was written "To Cousin Lilibet from George". Also I remember when Marina Ogilvy was going through her wild phase in 1990 she wrote a private letter to the Queen trying to explain herself which somehow was leaked to the newspapers and this began with the words "Dear Cousin Lilibet". So it seems that if you are "blood" relatives it's acceptable.

 

[yvr girl]

That's interesting

The 'cousin' part is a bit unusual, but I guess it's similar to 'aunt.'

 

[Roslyn]

The 'cousin' part is a bit unusual, but I guess it's similar to 'aunt.'

I haven't met that usage before. We Aussies seem to have lost it somewhere along the way on our passage from England. I think it's a really great idea. I have always baulked a bit at calling a cousin from a different generation by their first name when given leave to do so when I got older rather than calling them "Aunt", which they weren't, but there was no alternative form of address in our family. Addressing them as Cousin (First Name) is perfect.

 

[Skydragon]

I think it is common practise here in the UK. My cousins children and their children also call me cousin (1st name).

 

[tricia]

Princess Anne curtseying to the former king of Greece

Is it true that Princess Anne, at one time, wouldn't curtsey to the former king of Greece?

 

[Fabulous Fake]

Is it true that Princess Anne, at one time, wouldn't curtsey to the former king of Greece?

I don't know the answer to that but I do wonder why she should have been expected to curtsey since he was no longer a King?

 

[andrew]

.

I saw some picture where royals were courtseying to ex-kings.

e.g. one of the Infanta s to ex-king Simeon

In private royal circles ex-kings are treated as real kings.

 

[Camsterlaird]

As far as the Royals are concerned Constantine II still has the rank of King.

 

[MAfan]

Invitation to marriages

I hope this is the right thread...
In this article about the forthcoming wedding of Lord Frederick Windsor, it is said that "The Queen [...] has not been invited to the wedding in accordance with Royal protocol".
Why the Royal Protocol forbid the invitation of the Queen? If I remember correctly, she attended several other weddings, for example the one of Edward van Cutsem and Lady Tamara Grosvenor, but why can't she attend the wedding of her cousin?

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

I wonder if it is because the Queen has precedence at any event she attends? Obviously, close family members (such as the Queen's children and grandchildren) would expect, and receive, her attendance at their weddings but perhaps in this instance the Queen will not attend so all the attention will be focused on the bride and groom.

 

[wbenson]

I believe (though I'm not sure) it's because the court is at Balmoral, and it would be rude to ask the Queen to trek all the way back down to London.

 

[wbenson]

I found this interesting. Starting at 0:20, the Queen's chauffeur removes his hat and bows, even though he stays seated in the driver's seat.

YouTube - Her Majesty The Queen arrives at The Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo 2009