When he becomes King do you think William will put a stop to bowing & curtsying?

[GertyFreely]

The RF seem to curtsy more to each other than members of the public curtsy to them. When William is king, do you think he'll end this tradition?

Yes - the European royals would still all be observing protocol even if the UK royal family stopped doing it to each other so they’d need to remember the ‘rules’ for diplomatic events.

Anne does the deepest curtesies to European monarchs.

I think that Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother did it on seeing Elizabeth II for the first time after her accession and QEQM at the coronation, but not thereafter. There are no photographs of either one of them curtsying to her. According to the historical record, Queen Mary also curtsied to her sons on their accession and to George VI at his coronation, but there is no indication that she did it at other times. So I don't think Catherine will be bobbing on a regular basis to George.

Since no one has to curtsey now the only way William could change anything is by insisting the public do curtsey. Can't see him doing that.

But he could end the practice/expectation that family members curtsy to him as king.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen videos or photos of Charles's grandchildren doing it.

He could and he may but I don't see why that's important. As people have said upthread, familes show respect in different ways in different cultures. If someone in the royal family wants to curtsey or bow to the monarch as well as kissing them hello when they first meet, so what?

I agree. It makes me cringe to see her goody -two-shoes curtseying, more often than not to his back 😂

It's not mandatory now, even for other Royal family members - but, it's in the interests of other Royals to preserve the traditions of royalty so they'd be shooting themselves in the foot not to.

Many people reacting when I said I would not bow to another human being . Bowing to me would symbolise that I think the person is somehow superior to me or anyone else and I find that unacceptable. I can respect someone without having to bend my neck to them in a attention seeking gesture .

I would shake hands as a sign of greeting or even bow as a salutation if in Japan . I also bow in church but that is not to a human being who is equally worthy of anyone else.
And certainly never to any member of the RF . No problem with them going about their duties or whatever but no wouldn't bow if I met them .

I also think the fact it’s done so much in other royal families will impact it

The Dutch RF abolished it decades ago. Queen Juliana didn't like being curtsied to.

Usual suspects? Rude!

No one takes any notice of the Yorks and Louise. Not interested.

Kate's the PoW, beautiful and elegant. Photogenic. Hence we notice her, kissing KC and CPB then bobbing up & down. Often, as PP pointed out, when they've already turned away.

There is a lot of recent photographic evidence of members of other royal families curtsying to King W-A and Queen Maxima.

I certainly hope I'm not one of the usual suspects. I am an admirer of Catherine, but I do find her somewhat overly punctilious curtsying very noticeable.

Although I have to say, the most bizarre efforts that I have seen involve some of the continental royals at christenings, with a royal mother in stilettos curtsying while carrying a baby.

I'd be surprised to find he had the energy to change anything.

I assume that is the sort of “bigger problem” she means.

Charles is a lot more laid back about many things than his mother already

He had W kneeling at his feet at the coro.

What sort of priests get their hands kissed?

I know about bishops but never heard of this for priests. (But aware cultures vary)

One of the reasons I dislike the practice, aside from the obsequious nature of it, is how gendered it is. Curtsying is so much more obsequious than bowing and I have dodgy knees so would hate to do it.

I know members of the public don't have to do it but I think it sometimes doesn't help family relations. I think Anne objected to curtsying to Camilla when she married in which is when something was changed so that married ins only have a higher status above blood royals when they are with their spouse. I don't have evidence for you but read it a long time ago!

She may have abolished it in her court, but it’s not a hard rule for the Dutch royals generally.

there are plenty of photos of people curtsying to Willem and Maxima, and of Dutch royals curtsying to other royals (as recent as the celebrations for the new Luxembourg Grand Duke).

Greek Orthodox- I’ve had my ear clipped (metaphorically and literally) by my late uncles/aunts, to fail to give due respect to my cousin’s husband, who is a priest and younger than me. And to all the other priests younger than me.

I just bow over their outstretched hands. Still not good enough. I’m in my 60’s btw. I’m quite religious but I’ll only kiss the Archbishop or patriarchs hands.

Idk if you’re Dutch? (I am.)

People are allowed to, and the oldies sometimes do it, but you don’t really see it unless it’s a very formal occasion. Just lots of hand shaking. Which is much more common in the Netherlands than in the UK (eg you would shake someone’s hand the first time you meet them at a party, whereas in the UK that wouldn’t typically be expected!)

I’ve never been anywhere near any of the Dutch Royals but I understand that you can curtsy if you want to but it’s neither required/expected nor explicitly banned.

I agree 100% about the gendered nature of it all being objectionable. A woman drops herself almost to the floor, while a man bob's his head quickly from the neck.

I was more referring to the point about royal families curtsying to each other, the poster I quoted suggested that the Dutch royals no longer do that when they still do.

It sounds similar to the UK with the “you can but you don’t have to” feeling when they meet non royals.

To be fair, Elizabeth II had about a dozen people kneeling and paying homage at her coronation (Prince Philip, the 3 royal dukes, and assorted peers). At least Charles cut it down to one.

Ah, thank you. I never knew that!

If I ever had the remotest doubts that curtsying needs to go, this image would dispel them. That’s the democratically elected Prime Minister-and that’s not even the King!!