Would you bow or curtsy to royalty in a social setting?

[WhatWouldGinDo]

If you met a member of the RF in a social situation where you are there in the same capacity (e.g. you're another mum watching your DC play sport, or you're at a private house as you have mutual friends), should you bow/curtsy? And should you address them as YM /YRH when you're introduced.

It's not happened to me yet (only met them when they're working and therefore did curtsy/YRH them) but I've always been intrigued what people if they end up sitting next to them at the school concert.

Just seen footage of Catherine curtseying to Charles yesterday. Even he looks embarrassed about it.

I always think Kate looks particularly performative and annoying when she does it.

The bowing to the court is bowing to the authority of the court though. The barristers and solicitors are ' officers of the court' meaning they have a duty to the court. The defendants probably don't bow but they would have to abide ty the authority of the court. When you how in court you are actually saying you are ' subservient' to the Law. The Royals don't have authority over anyone and no one should be subservient' to them. They should be subservient' to us. The curtseying to each other is ridiculous in public as it is, but if they still do it to each other in private that is really risible.

It's obviously in their interests to preserve the idea that they are special - let them curtsey to one another, hopefully the rest of use have more sense.

See it’s fucking WEIRD!

Why?, just why? Because of old ‘rules’ I’d be embarrassed to enforce such nonsense.

Seems she’s keeping it real. Nice.

Might do in an official ceremonial event - if I was getting an MBE etc. Or it was the Coronation and I was invited to the actual ceremony. (both scenarios highly unlikely)

But if I met the King/Queen of the day in a social setting I might do a slight head nod while shaking hands, but to any of the other royals I'd just shake hands like any other person.

Agree

Kate is forever curtseying to c&c. It's weird
There's even footage of her doing it when Charles is 3 people away and doesn't see her!
Give it up Kate, you look daft. A double kiss or a hug will suffice

You've nailed it there

The thing is if she stopped doing it now, the press would NEVER stop talking or speculating about why - the first time she doesn't bother, even if he's not looking her way she'll be the focus of press reports and online craziness.

Eight years later, there are still people making videos on YouTube claiming Meghan was awful and rude for not curtseying to the Queen at her wedding when she actually did curtsey but the footage wasn't very clear.

Ma’am, I think.

It's quite publicised that the rule is they only do it for the first time meeting that day. She could easily quietly start phasing it out and if it was noticed people would probably just say it must not be the first time today.

She loves it though and clearly will expect it done to William when he's king and she gets some reflected glory. Then there's a good chance she'll outlive him and if we still have a monarchy then we get George VII and she'll start the performative curtseying to her son probably still unaware how very silly that is.

I don't think she takes herself that seriously - there was footage of one Wimbledon champion curtseying to her after winning and she looks a little embarrassed, and Pippa is behind her in the background looking like she's about to wet herself at someone curtseying to her sister - and very much laughing at Kate not the player. I suspect her family take the piss out of this sort of stuff to keep her from getting too big for her boots.

I don't think Charles cares that much either - he didn't seem to notice that Stella McCartney almost forgot the curtsey - looks like he found it funny.

https://news.sky.com/video/i-dont-know-what-to-do-anymore-says-stella-mccartney-as-she-almost-forgets-to-curtsey-king-charles-12738571

I used to do eventing (horse trials) in my younger days. Was at a one day event and waiting to go into the showjumping phase along with another rider who's horse was being a bit silly. We had a good laugh and a chat about idiot horses and they then called her into the ring. It was Zara Phillips and I'd not even realised. She was just so lovely and normal. No bowing or curtseying required (though probably wouldn't have been advisable on top of horses being a bit skitty!) Also found out a bit later she had parked her lorry next to ours, her mum (HRH Princess Anne) was there too and had a brief chat - she was also super lovely and down to earth.

No never .
I would show the same level of politeness i give to everyone.

If Princess Anne sidled up to me at a sports thing and introduced herself as ‘Anne’ then that’s what I’d call her. If I was meeting her getting my MBE (😄) I’d curtsy and call her whatever was protocol!

It would depend on circumstances and which particular royal.
I mentioned earlier on this thread that I curtseyed to Princess Anne getting my degree. I don't feel demeaned in any way because of that.
I'd curtsey to the King or Queen in appropriate circumstances.
My self-esteem isn't so slight that I have to bang on about the relative smelliness of my shit compared with that of others or want to say "Wotcher bruv" on a formal occasion to make me feel more important or to show how unimpressed I was.
Anyway, it's very unlikely the circumstance will arise again, much as it won't for the majority of people on this thread.

No. Lots of people don’t nowadays, including people being introduced to them. The RF website makes a point of saying Bow/curtesy is not obligatory and people welcome not to.

maybe to the King but that is it. I would especially find it strange to curtsey to Catherine or Sophie, they are commoners like us and yet we are expected to curtsey to them because of who they married! It's nuts.

thank you dilbertian, this is exactly the sort of scenario I was curious about!

That's pretty funny, as most 'private people' don't have the staff of their dentist's/farm shop/spa coached in what forms of address to use to her and what level of 'natural courtesy' as appropriate.

No - I would not curtsey or bow to any of the royal family. If I had agreed to meet them, I would treat them with the same courtesy as I routinely extend to anyone else in business or personal life.

I come down on the ‘keep the royals’ side - just! But, as with our politicians, I would like to see them adhering to a similar kind of code of ethical conduct as applies by law to company directors in the U.K. For example, no acceptance ( or solicitation) of gifts from third parties - no brown envelopes full of cash (King Charles’s former aide) or clothing gifts (Starmers!) - there really is no such thing as a free lunch.

I would also like to see them conduct extensive due diligence on their associates before making friends of them or confiding in them. No royal person should be associating in public or private with a convicted sex offender. And some prudence should be shown in even associating with a person of dubious reputation - certainly do not accept hospitality or gifts from them! Discretion and honour over greed and convenience please.

I recall reading an interview years ago with, I think, Zara and she said that when she met up with the Queen for the first time in the day she would do a little bob to the Queen then give her grandmother a hug. All the senior royals wear two hats, a private, family one and an official one.
It's a bit like the Armed Forces, they would salute a senior oficer in uniform but were he/she in civvies then they wouldn't, the salute is to the uniform, not the person.

Id probably curtsy to the Princess Royal but non of the others edpecially not Camilla