To think curtsying to the royal family is daft?

[BalletBunting]

I really understand why this practice still exists - especially seeing eg Theresa May sinking to the floor to William, a man half her age! I personally wouldn't dream of it, even if I met the Queen herself!

A self made woman, the most powerful woman in the country had to curtsy to a unelected nepotism spoilt man with no power? I suspect he has a great deal of power, just as his father has - it's just that it's the money fuelled behind-closed-doors power that we don't get to see.

There is not a human being on this earth that I would bow my knee to.

I wouldn't bend my creaky knees, but I would bow to David Attenborough!

There is not a human being on this earth that I would bow my knee to.

Gosh.
I'd kneel before George Clooney...

Bowing to an institution that was a perpetrator of colonialism and outright theft of land from native populations. Think of the murder committed in the name of 'queen and country'? Disgusting.

And I'd happily pay more tax instead of lining their filthy, tyrant pockets.

Incidentally, the tax payer ensures that they are the biggest scroungers of state benefits, while those in genuine need are spomen of with contempt and vitriol. I'm sure they care about the austerity wreaking havoc on society from a safe distance in their ivory towers.

There is no place for the monarchy in this day and age. Makes my blood boil

Republican here, incase that's unclear. And there's not a human being alive I'd kneel to in order to show my grovelling subservience

I'm not anti royal per se.And happy to have a head of state and traditions.However with the next generation of Royals I do find curtseying looks more and more outdated and inappropriate. A polite handshake should be all that is required now.

The queen - yes. she’s an elderly lady who’s earned some respect
the rest - no way.

No, I’d certainly not bend the knee to any of the overprivileged, overindulged dinosaurs - including the queen. Wtf has she done to “earn” my respect? Just lived a life of luxury and been to lots of foreign countries to wave at people and eat lavish meals. Diddums.

It does remind me of going to Mass and having to genuflect before the crucifix and never quite getting it right and feeling a right twat.

Lapsed now, not surprisingly (not just because of the awkwardness of genuflecting).

The convention is to bow/curtesy to the monarch isn’t it? I remember having a discussing with someone about how Americans aren’t expected to curtesy to her because she isn’t their head of state or something? I personally don’t mind it. I think it’s actually quite a shame that we have lost the curtesy. It’s great exercise, wed all have much perkier bottoms if we greeted each other with courtesies
This has just appeared on the Mumsnet Madness twitter

My mother did a small bow when she met my late DH. He would have inherited a minor title had he survived his father, which she thought was an excellent trait for a man to have. She's the love-child of Hannibal Lecter and Mrs. Bucket, so it was hilarious.

I would not bow to anyone, it's silly and antiquated. Also the curtesy looks a lot more subservient than the small bow the men make.

Does anyone here actually know how to curtsey?

I was just thinking about that, @MargaretHoulihan - I know I was taught to curtsey as a child but can't think why or by whom!

It's an awful tradition. I hate the idea that one person is deserving of subservience from another purely due to their birth. I would feel more inclined to curtsey to someone who'd achieved something great through hard work.

In the unlikely event I met a Royal, I wouldn't curtsey.

As an aside, when I was about six, someone told me that when the Queen knights someone with a sword, if the person doesn't kneel properly, the Queen will immediately behead them with the sword instead of conferring the honour. I believed this, and wondered why anyone would run the risk of receiving a knighthood.

Sounds like I had a lucky escape - Princess Margaret didn't turn up for my degree ceremony so we had to make do with a last minute sub. Not sure I would have curtseyed...

I would only ever curtsy to the Queen. When Prince Charles or William or George become King, I wouldn’t bother. I have a lot of respect for the Queen and she is really the only one that I would revere in that way

That photo of Teresa May and William. I can imagine him saying under his breath, ‘for fucks sake get up, you stupid bloody woman’. 😂

I think curtsying to the royal family is daft

Does anyone here actually know how to curtsey?

You get taught it in ballet - in anticipation of all the curtain calls you're going to take with the Bolshoi presumably . So, even if you only did ballet as a reluctant 7 year old with 2 left feet, like me, you probably know how.

I met Prince Charles last week and was conflicted between finally getting an opportunity to use this vital life skill for the 1st time in 40 years versus my general dislike of him. But, in fact, no one curtsied, so I didn't either.

Apart from the Queen it's only really in ceremonial circumstances I'm told, the certainly William and Harry offer their hand normally no bowing required (I know people who met them through the army) and it's first names only unless in a formal speech

I don't think Teresa May is a good example of curtseying. She looks so ungainly in the photo of her curtseying to Prince William.
I definitely would curtsey to the Queen. She has earned her position as well as it being a hereditary position. I think Princess Anne has also earned respect.
I would be scared of tipping over and I would be practising a lot. I don't think I would manage to curtsey as low as Teresa May but that would not be from a lack of respect

Ah, that explains it. No ballet lessons for me. I could manage a kung-fu bow, but that's about it.

Does the royal family also do the 'only extend one finger' thing when shaking hands? I've always wondered this since seeing it on Upstairs, Downstairs…

Does anyone here actually know how to curtsey?

Um, yes. I went to a school that turned out 'nice gels'; they failed utterly with me but I wasn't their usual material. Theresa May can't even do it properly; both a short bob and a down to the ground court curtsey should be done with a straight back. I haven't tried for years to see if I could go all the way down and back; I used to do it as a drunken party piece but I don't think that my knees could cope now. It's not even required these days so she just looks like a grovelling pillock, much like Hyacinth Bucket would in similar circumstances, and it does no respect to her own standing as head of government.

The only time I ever met a UK royal personally was in the context of a military visit so he just got the respect tendered to a senior officer; I didn't bother with the HRH stuff and he didn't seem bovvered.

I do envy people who have been taught that sort of thing—well perhaps not curtseying, but making introductions and how to do small talk at parties and all that.

I suspect he has a great deal of power, just as his father has - it's just that it's the money fuelled behind-closed-doors power that we don't get to see

😂 What power do they have? They aren’t even allowed to vote. They are decorations that do meet and greets. When will this big powerful Prince declare a War? How’s he going to effect the Empire? He’s not going to do anything he’s just an expensive dude they wheel out.

I cringe when I see people bowing to the Royal family inwardly begging 'Don't do it, have some self respect'.
I bet Meghan loves it though!

Oh wow, 4 pages in before a baseless Meghan bash. That's probably a record.

Anyway, it's ridiculous nonsense and I wouldn't curtsy to any of them, not even the Queen. She isn't my head of state anyway, so I think I'm off the hook.