to ask should people still be bowing/curtseying to royalty

[bringincrazyback]

...in this day and age?

And if so, why?

(Usual disclaimers apply: long-standing member, not a journo, no Daily Fail affiliations. Question inspired by something that's come up in a book I'm reading; I'm curious to know what others think. Personally I think it's an obsequious practice that should have died out decades ago.)

If it was in a work context and I was required to then I guess I would. If it was the queen it wouldn't bother me, she's a legend still cracking on at her age.
Any of the others I'd rather not. And 'prince' Andrew, err, no chance!

It is a choice.

You are told when you are meeting them that you can curtsey or bow if you want to but you don't have to.

@Xiaoxiong

Sure! But not just for royalty, I think we should bring it back for everyone. Better for social distancing and a bit of thigh exercise. I'd quite like to bow and curtsey to friends and have them do the same to me rather than awkwardly having to shake hands or worse, avoid shaking hands.

My friend curtseys everytime she sees me. I love it

I think curtseying to the Monarch is okay - but they all seem perfectly fine when people don't do it too. I've noticed the members of the Royal family do a really deep curtsey when they do it. Here's Princess Anne curtseying to the King and Queen of Spain and Jordan.

Blimey that first one of Princess Anne she looks like she is pleading for some bread to feed her starving babe or something

We should be guillotining them, not bowing to them.

Is anyone forcing you to bow to anyone?

Absolutely no way would I courtesy to any of them.
It looks increasingly odd and so ridiculous.
They should be bowing to us, the amount we all bank roll the lot of them.

My mum is a long standing charity worker and will decline any 'honours' from the queen. I have enormous respect for this and have proudly passed on her anti royal views to my own dc!

@gannett

We should be guillotining them, not bowing to them.

YES.

If you ever see a royal go down a reception line you will notice that women who are American or European do not usually curtsy. They just shake hands. My understanding now is that it is optional.

There is a story about Prince Andrew staying at a country house and he unexpectedly went into the kitchen. When the surprised staff failed to immediately jump to their feet he said "Lets try that again shall we!" And went out, to re-enter.

I doubt now that many would get up for PA or he would have the nerve to expect it.

I don't think there's any "off with your head" obligation to bow/curtsey if you don't want to. Is it customary to bow/curtsey to anyone other than the Queen herself?

I would. It’s a privilege to have a monarch.

No human should have to bend a knee to anyone else. Princess Anne looks ridiculous. The whole idea of being 'lesser' than anyone just because of what family they belong to, is preposterous. Belongs in the past with idea of 'monarchy'.

@memberofthewedding

If you ever see a royal go down a reception line you will notice that women who are American or European do not usually curtsy. They just shake hands. My understanding now is that it is optional.

There is a story about Prince Andrew staying at a country house and he unexpectedly went into the kitchen. When the surprised staff failed to immediately jump to their feet he said "Lets try that again shall we!" And went out, to re-enter.

I doubt now that many would get up for PA or he would have the nerve to expect it.

Oh my word. What a twat.

'It's a privilege to have a monarch.'

Is it though, really??

I think so. We could have a lying cheating avaricious venal politician as head of state. I know which I prefer.

@cortex10

I went to a pretty ordinary Catholic primary school where the girls were expected to curtesy to the staff (I think the boys saluted but may be misremembering). Vivid memories of morning assemblies with a sea of bobbing heads across the hall. 😊 no idea who thought it was a good idea and assume it stopped long ago.

We used to have to do this at primary school too. Every morning the teacher would say "Good morning boys and girls" and we were supposed to say good morning back and curtsy and the boys had to salute.

They don't do that any more. This was in the 70s. At a normal state primary.

I wouldn't curtsy to anyone these days.

@Xiaoxiong

Sure! But not just for royalty, I think we should bring it back for everyone. Better for social distancing and a bit of thigh exercise. I'd quite like to bow and curtsey to friends and have them do the same to me rather than awkwardly having to shake hands or worse, avoid shaking hands.

Yes please! Much better than the horrendous “elbow bump” people are trying to make into a Thing.

The idea is that you're curtseying to the office, not the person. Although, with the Queen, I'd curtsey to her regardless, she's amazing. I've been introduced to her and to Prince Philip, I curtseyed but others present didn't, I got the impression they really didn't care either way.

I would to HMQ but none of the others.
I might tip a tiny bow of the head to Anne as I quite like her, but the rest of them have either been perfectly ordinary people married in, are younger than me or are complete tits.

[quote AngryWhompingWillow]@bringincrazyback Are we meant to click YABU if we think you should be bowing to royalty, or YANBU if you think you should be bowing to royalty?

Not very clear in your post![/quote]
Yeah, sorry - forgot to disable voting!

No of course not, nor should we have Privy Council sycophants still kneeling, kissing hands and swearing oaths of allegiance to a parasitic nonentity, but we do.

Didn't Cherie Blair refuse to curtsey?

Saw a clip of Vanessa Redgrave curtseying to the Queen. She went so low she was almost prostrate on the floor.

It's about time that we overthrew the monarchy.

Princess Anne looks so weird in those pictures. The whole movement does not look elegant as a still shot! She looks pissed.