During the state visit, Melania Trump was spotted not curtsying to the monarch King Charles, and some people wondered if it was a breach of protocol. The palace has clarified the exact guidance
Donald Trump’s historic second state visit drew a large spotlight to Windsor, with the Royal Family, led by King Charles, tasked with their trademark soft diplomacy to reinforce good relations between the two countries.
Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the President seemed pleased with the pomp and pageantry he received during his time with the royals, speaking highly of the monarchy in a speech at the state banquet.
However, eagle-eyed royal fans spotted one particular detail that seemed unusual: Melania Trump did not curtsy to the monarch. But the palace has all the answers about whether or not she did anything wrong.
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There are some pretty rigid ideas out there about royal protocol and how those in the House of Windsor should be greeted, particularly amongst their die-hard fans.
Within the Royal Family itself, they stick to the rules about bowing and curtsying pretty strictly, and you’ll always see the royals bowing or bobbing into a quick curtsy when they see the monarch.
The monarchy, and the family that makes it up, is inherently tied to the idea of strict hierarchy, with everyone in the line of succession knowing their exact place in it, and working together to support the crown at the top of the structure.
So much so, that Meghan admitted when she first met the Queen – in the Duke and Duchess’s documentary series for Netflix – she was shocked that they even showed this mark of respect behind closed doors, and that she was swiftly trained how to do it before being introduced.
However, while the royals might keep this rule up themselves, the palace is actually relaxed about it, and details the rules about meeting the monarch on their official website.
“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms,” the website explains.
The traditional way of approaching meeting the King or Queen is explained as, “For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy.”
However, no one is forced to do so, so the fact that Melania didn’t curtsy wasn’t a breach of any rule or protocol – it was just how she preferred to say hello.
“Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way,” the palace website explains. However, the palace states, when first speaking to the monarch, their formal title should be used.
“On presentation to The King or Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and subsequently ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am,'” they explain.