Children shouldn't be taught to curtsey for the queen at school

[Lemith]

Thankfully not mine, but my sisters DD is preparing for a visit from Liz and they have all been told to curtsey / bow before her.

I've nothing against the monarchy particularly, but I dont like all this wankery and would treat them just like any other stranger.

Liz once or twice a year gets in my way when she's had a road closed and caused massive inconvince to us commoners.

Aibu to think this should be the child's choice how they greet royals?

Of course, she's not actually Liz the second up here

What makes you think the queen runs the country JW35?

YANBU

I would explain to ds that there was no need to bow and the reasons why

and would hope he didn't feel the need to

I certainly would not curtsey

Just realised you're being ironic.

From my recollection don't you get a list of do's and don'ts from the royal household bods. Like at the garden party there are.specific dress codes.

I read that a new toilet is fitted at every venue the Queen visits on her queenly travels. Can that be true?

Which can I say, from having attended a royal garden party earlier in the year (and which cemented my republican views) are roundly ignored

You don't think people are all equally important Jw?

It's a joke!

I know that curtseying/bowing on meeting the queen isn't required - as both Gruntfuttock and SDTG have pointed out - but I wonder how many people still do exactly that? People meeting her for the first time, I mean. Adults as well as children?

I'll take a wild guess that it's still widely perceived as the norm.

If so, perhaps the OP's DN and her classmates would be performing a public service if their non-curtseying highlights the fact that this bowing and scraping is no longer necessary.

Oh right. Good thing you pointed that out.

Hilary Mantel has a very good description of attending some indoor winter equivalent of a garden party at Buck House in her 'Royal Bodies' lecture. Acc. her, there was nowhere to sit, Charles had a very beautiful suit, everyone desperately avoided the Queen's eye as she moved around, but stared when they thought she couldn't see, and the staff circulating with meat-on-skewers canapés refused to take back the empty skewers, so every pillar in the room bristled with discarded mini-skewers.

Also, because there's nothing Mn likes like a good discussion of social class markers, a devotion to the monarchy is a definite non-U thing. Especially if you show up at Sandringham on Christmas morning with a well-rehearsed curtsey, or line royal routes from dawn with little flags and a flask of tea. Or have royal souvenir mugs or tea-towels.

Of course, she's not actually Liz the second up here

True, SirChenjin. She has a song that says we've got to crush you if you're rebellious, too. Watch out.

I would leave the decision to my child but make it clear regardless of the school's input it is not necessary. No human being should be more 'important' simply because of the family they are born into. It's not an achievement. Developing a new medicine is an achievement, campaigning for children's rights is an achievement, having a royal surname is not. That said peer pressure is very real and I would understand a child following the crowd.

Ah, but we'll send you hameward tae think again if you try any of that Southern nonsense up here

No chance whatsoever I would bow or curtsy to her. I would treat her with the same level of politeness and respect I would show to any other stranger I was meeting for the first time. If she curtsyed to me certainly I would return the favour.

The blind 'if you don't like it then leave' attitude is totally baffling to me. This is my home as much as it is hers or yours or anyone else's. Why should I leave?

I empathise with your point, but if you meet the queen you pretty much have to curtsey.

I would tell my child she doesn't have to, but wouldn't force her not to. I think I would put my child in a position she doesn't want to be in.

That being said, I couldn't care less if we love in monarchy. If I met the queen, I am not going to curtsy.

At primary school, us girls had to curtsey to the head mistress and the boys were expected to salute

Most of us were born here rather than actively choosing it.

I immigrated. I chose it.

This country is wonderful, but has warts like all countries, and one of those is the monarchy. I hope we get rid of it one day. it boggles my mind that people think it's polite to bow or curtsy another human. it's servility, not politeness.

At primary school, us girls had to curtsey to the head mistress and the boys were expected to salute

head mistress actually has a difficult job.

It's still wrong though, redstrawberry.
When I was at school back in the 70's we had to stand and say good morning Miss/Sir when a teacher entered the room. I think that's polite, without being subservient.

Yabu! What a thing to get a tail fluff from. Haha :)

Why not start a campaign? You could include the mn hysterics who are fighting for their cherubs not to have to put their hands together and say amen at school.

I'm sure I once read that Nancy Reagan refused to curtesy when she first met the queen....will check.

I has long been etiquette that US heads of state and spouses of heads of state do not bow or curtsy to a foreign monarch. Also generally speaking ordinary Americans don't do it either.

If you're meeting the queen, you should follow etiquette. End of

For you maybe. And I'll leave the irksome 'End of.'

OP, YANBU. My children know that lots of people do curtsey to the Queen, but lots of others choose not to, and they are free to make their own choice.

Hell would freeze over before I curtsey to anyone by dint of them 'being Royal.' I'm quiet, polite and respectful of people generally. But bowing and curtseying? No way, never.