If you were to meet a member of the royal family would you bow/curtsey etc?

[Blackcats7]

I support the royal family in general in that I don't want to see the institution abolished but I would like to see some changes which I think change will come in time with Charles and then William.
It occurred to me that in the highly unlikely/impossible scenario I ever met a member of the royal family I could not agree to curtsey or call them sir, ma'am, your majesty etc. I would want to be polite and friendly but I just could not show that deference to anyone.
Would you follow royal protocol or just be polite but not excessively deferential?

Absolutely Not! No way!

They are where they are through an accident of birth!

Would not be calling them HRH, Sir or Ma'm either !

i find it baffling that in 2024 there are still many people, who would be prepared to be deferential to the biggest bunch of scrounger's in The UK.

It is 2024 not 1924 and the bowing and scraping to The Royal Family needs to be abolished and binned off!

I’ve met a lot of royals and have always curtseyed. It’s just rude and obnoxious if you don’t.

No. Polite of course, but not deferential.

No I met Charles about ten years ago and again eighteen months later. I didn’t either time.

No, I wouldn't bow to my social equal - why would you?

I met Charles 3 times last year and never curtsied. I never saw anyone curtsy to Anne or William. I find all it all bizarre why some royals curtsy to others, it’s very outdated.

no, I don't bow and curtsy, or call people by titles. I have done in the past, as a live in servant, but i could never curtsy correctly even then, and was allowed to bow instead. At the time I needed the job and the home, but I always felt stupid, and vowed once I had my independence I would never do it again. I only ever felt contempt for the people I was doing it to, there was nothing respectful about it

My DH, DC1 and DSis have each had a number of interactions with the British Royal Family due to their achievements.
I have never accompanied them as I would struggle to kowtow to another human purely as a happening of their birth situation compared to mine.

I met Princess Anne when she visited my school about 40 years ago and I curtsied, as did everyone else there on the day.
However we were taught to curtsey for receiving a prize at prize-giving, so it was not unusual at my school.

I disagree. I don’t curtesy to my friends, relatives or any new people I meet. I can show respect to someone without doing a half bow to them. Do you curtsy to everyone you meet?

Definitely not. Happy to shake hands and call them Sir or Madam just as I do with any relative stranger I meet.

No. But then I wouldn’t want to meet any of them.

Tempting to do a Theresa May and go for a full sweeping ostentatious ballet curtsy. But I’d probably just shake hands.

I have. Old queen and DofE. I meant to curtesy because my mum would have been cross if I didn't, but had had a couple of Buckingham palace gins by then and nodded instead. Mortified. 😂

Snap

I’ve met a lot of royals and have always curtseyed. It’s just rude and obnoxious if you don’t.

Of course it isn't. How can not bowing possibly be obnoxious.

They don't even expect it any more I don't think. I think the "official" protocol has been updated. Obviously it's not like they could make you do it before - but now even the royals don't think it's rude not to bow/curtsy.

Absolutely not. I bow and scrape to no one. Mind you I’d do everything I could to avoid meeting them anyway!
Our Tory MP was visiting the school I worked at to launch the daily mile and the head sent out a message to all staff asking for no more than 5 members of staff to volunteer to join them and the children for a photo for the papers. He got no takers, understandably, and conceded to take the photo with just himself, the MP and the children. Poor kids!

It's not that hard to follow protocol for addressing people by their correct terms. Certainly doesn't affect my sense of self to address a priest as father, a nun as Sister or a diplomat as Your Excellency. Or a judge by their correct terms. No more difficult than calling you Blackcats7, really; the names/terms have no real effect upon me other than knowing that I'm not being a dick by letting them know my internal narrative.

After all, I'm not going to be a fan of kids at work calling me Neverdrop - it's Miss Mooncup, whatever they may think of compulsory education, the adults working in it or me specifically. Seems only fair that somebody else is given the same standard that I expect of others.

I am Irish so no, but may ask them to chuck back a few bits they "forgot" to return. You know the Gaelic objects looted from the Island of Ireland by The British Crown. They reside in the British Museum so if they could FedEx them back cheers.

Would wish Catherine good health cancer as a mum must be horrific with the world looking on at every opportunity.

I have done (met more than one member of the Royal Family) and they don't expect you to bow or curtsy any more.

I have on a few occasions and I did not. I was very polite and friendly and shook hands and maybe nodded my head a bit ? But I wouldn't even know how to curtsey properly tbh.
Phillip made a joke about the loos being so small having to reverse into them or something, so I didn't feel the need to be super formal !

No. I don't bow and scrape to anyone, I think it's deeply unhealthy.

Hilarious 😂

I’ve met the King, Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie, Princess Micheal and Prince William through my career and nary a curtesy for any of them 😂

Exactly, I’m not some forelock tugging yokel.