The curtsy/curtsey

[Shewonticeskateorseesanta]

Apologies if other threads on this, I haven’t noticed specifically about this.
Just watcher the H&M documentary (I’m a little behind)
What were your thoughts on the scene where Meghan describes the curtsey? I just found it uncomfortable watching Harry’s face, was she taking the piss?
Ive no opinion on them either way tbh, but must admit I’m interested in the relationship between them. He always looks so desperate to please/prove he’s doing things right…is this just love for her? Is there something off or am I reading too much into it?

Isn't it crazy of the Sussexes to release such controversial media if they are already fearing for their safety and are stressed about negative publicity? The establishment is never ever going to be positive about these two chancers after the trouble they're causing, have they thought all this through? The curtsey scene is difficult to watch, she looks rather obsessed and deranged in it but it will stir hate against them from racists and be a nightmare for their security. Harry is an utter idiot to be doing this, utterly stupid. With regards to her, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned seems to apply.

Well Harry knows her better than us, so I’m guessing the reason he didn’t crack a smile was because what she said was either offensive or untrue

Talk about truth.She admitted herself-laughing-in an interview when she was in Suits that she lied to casting directors about being in an acting union.Obviously much younger,very ambitious and keen to get a part.Nevertheless it background details like that that make me think mm.Can you ever truly trust her version of things ?

I feel sorry for Harry because her finding freedom is effectively his finding of enslavement. It is her city, her world, her skills set now. He is the bit part jester in the background of her ventures. The most he can do is express disapproval with his eyes. He has to play the part of loved up, freedom loving whatever 24/7, play a role for the cameras even inside his own home. He has gone from an upbringing of great privacy to this trashiness. It must be awful for his mental health.
Bleating on about how the royals are this and that means that she has completely turned the tables in her favour. I know another relationship like this which did not end well.

Can you say how it end did end @bakalava ? What's the dynamic there? I think relationships where the woman calls all the shot and the man is very loved up do tend to go the distance but they are obviously not the healthiest experience for anyone involved, especially children.

It did look to me like she was taking the piss, yes.
On a tangent

• I didn't like the way she implied that the wales' disapprove of ripped jeans and are uptight, when there is no evidence they did disapprove - unless Meghan can read minds.
• I felt that the way Meghan bangs on about "service" all the time is because she is still pissed off about the palaces megxit statement which mentioned service. Read the sussexes response to that, they were annoyed!
• I like their anti-monarchy stance. However it is at odds with their self promotion of their royal status in the us.
• if their titles are so important that them then they really do need to stop taking the piss out of it- this curtsying issue a case in point.
• I am quite concerned about Harry in all this. I wouldn't have thought it would at all be in his interest to go to war with his bro and cate to this extent.
• Harry doesn't have much to say at formal events "I thought this was date night" Jesus wept.

They were going to have lunch at Royal Lodge with Jack & Eugenie and weren't expecting the Queen to be there. Only found out just beforehand. I tend to believe the Ophrah interview that Fergie came out, told them the Queen was coming (first they'd heard of it) and checked Megan knew what to do/helped her out. Although Fergie grew up around Royal circles as someone who married in she would have a pretty good idea how overwhelming it would be for Meghan and would be far more likely than Harry to anticipate that Meghan might need a bit of help. I also cannot believe that, had Fergie not been there to help, Eugenie would not have stepped in to double check Meghan was OK given that she is a) kind and b) would have been guiding Jack on how to join the Firm. It is possible though that the "help" offered was you need to curtsy do you know how and that Meghan thought she did as she had learnt to curtsy at ballet lessons so that was the curtsy she did (as why would an American realise that there are curtsies and curtsies?)

I’m pretty sure MM said that her initial meeting with K&W was more formal than expected, not that the royal family are always formal, even in private. For most people, an initial meeting with a new girlfriend/boyfriend is a bit more formal than subsequent meetings.

That said, in my experience of eating with Americans dining in the UK, US and other countries, dining is way less formal. A knife isn’t always used, and tines down on a fork is very unusual.

She didn't meet the queen by royal appointment. The queen happened to have been there when they were going to Windsor or wherever it was.

When I had partners, and I went to my mother's house, I would not happen to know whether my grandmother (not a queen) was there or not. I strongly suspect that the first indication that Aitch had that his grandmother was there, was the flag flying. Google it. The flag is only flown at full mast when the monarch is in situ. It was a thing after Diana's death. The monarchy were torn apart for not flying the flag at Buckingham palace (or Kensington palace?) by the public and the media. Apparently, Prince Phillip didn't want it at half mast as it had nothing to do with grieving. It is flown at full mast when the monarch is present.

If you don't believe me, here is a video about it.

www.royal.uk/royal-standard#:~:text=The%20Royal%20Standard%20represents%20the,(when%20on%20the%20ground).

The Royal Standard represents the Sovereign and the United Kingdom.
The Royal Standard is flown when The Queen is in residence in one of the Royal Palaces, on The Queen's car on official journeys and on aircraft (when on the ground).
It may also be flown on any building, official or private (but not ecclesiastical buildings), during a visit by The Queen, if the owner or proprietor so requests.
The Royal Standard also used to be flown on board the Royal Yacht, when it was in service and The Queen was on board.

I'm not a royalist but wonder how many people who said curtseying is ridiculous, were given away by their dads when they got married.

Most people commenting don't even understand the flying of the royal standard so I wouldn't expect too much from this audience. Baby steps. 😁

When I was at primary school in the 70s we had to curtsy to the teacher at the beginning of the day and the boys had to salute. Only a little bob though, not a full ballet curtsy. This was a state primary school in Glasgow!! I think the school was something of an outlier.😀

I have only seen this bizarre piss~taking 'Curtsey' clip, and I'm glad it's not just me who sees a slightly deranged look there, too.
A bit ''Madwoman in the attic~ Jayne Eyre''
Something unsettling and a little hysterical in it.

did Fergie get an invite to the wedding ?

@IAmWomanHearMeRoar1

Well said.

@ThePoetsWife - YY, a silly hangover from days of yore, which couldn't possibly serve any useful function in family life.

We curtseyed in my East Lothian primary in the 70s, followed by the Lord's Prayer.

Funnily enough, we didn't do that when I moved to an independent school in Edinburgh.

@theworldhas

YY, Americans find all the customs quaint and loveable from a distance, and consider the British quaint and loveable roo, but more than slightly bonkers for taking any of it seriously.

I've sat watching baseball games with people who were Presidents and CEOs of companies, and banks they themselves founded, happily ordering beer and nachos from the vendors and munching away the hours in the sun. There's a different way of doing things there.

Harry should have prepped M better. Don't most normal families give a new partner the run down ? I always warned new people to brace themselves when shaking hands with my dad as he has a very tight grip and to ignore his stupid dad jokes. Explaining how and when to curtesy should have been a given.

👏👏👏👏

Even though I can see she was mocking herself, it came across as really inappropriate and disrespectful to the Queen, particularly how she said "Your Majesty", at the end.

I don't think she meant it to be though. Personally I think it just another one of those cultural clashes (US humor) vs UK humour); she came up from the curtesy expecting H to be laughing along with her, and he was stony faced.

Americans can be very formal too.
Emily Post’s Etiquette has always been very popular.
I remember seeing that the Supremes had an etiquette coach.

American children used to be taught to curtsy to older women when they were introduced.

The etiquette coach who taught the Supremes, among others, was called Maxine Powell.

I disagree that Americans are informal. They are in many ways, especially in being friendly and welcoming to people they don’t know well, but this does not mean they don’t care a lot underneath about rules of decorum.

I think MM is aware too really. For example, she sits beautifully with a straight back and so on. That is all following a rule book.

Imo she was mocking herself about the curtsy, but it might have been best not to go on about it in this documentary. It inadvertently made it seem she was questioning the practice of curtsying to the Queen.

Articles about Maxine Powell.
www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/maxine-powell

www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-dominion-post/20131019/282372627345319