As the Queen celebrates her platinum jubilee, join us on our exploration of 22 royal etiquette rules.
Royal Etiquette Rules
- When the queen stands up you must immediately stand as well. It’s a grave breach of protocol to remain sitting while the queen stands.
- When the queen has finished eating, so have you. So eat quickly! Just kidding, the queen usually makes sure all her guests are finished eating before she lays down her knife and fork.
- Children in the royal family are expected to bow and curtsy to the sovereign from around the age of five. You don’t bow to another HRH—only the queen when you’re seeing her for the first time that day. Men give a short bow from the neck and women curtsy.
- All royal brides are expected to include myrtle in their wedding bouquets. Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Victoria started the tradition on her own wedding day in 1858. Royal brides who have incorporated myrtle in their bouquets include Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and the Queen herself.
- At dinner parties the queen will speak first to the person seated on her right during the first course, then switch to a conversation with the person on her left during the second course.
- When royals travel abroad, they are required to pack an all-black outfit in case a sudden death in the family means they must immediately enter a period of mourning.
- According to protocol, women must wear hats to formal royal occasions.
- Women are not required to wear hats to formal occasions after 6 p.m.! After 6 p.m., hats are out and tiaras are in.
- Tiaras are exclusively reserved for married members of the royal family or royal brides.
- Never turn your back on the queen.
- Pantyhouse is a wardrobe staple for royal women … or is it? At this point, who knows. Duchess Meghan got it in the neck from royal commentators for wearing an ugly, pale pair of pantyhose for her joint engagement with the queen soon after her wedding to Prince Harry, but we have a sneaking suspicion the vitriol would have been even more intense if she had chosen to go without. Anyway, the Duchess of Sussex lives in California now and need never wear pantyhose again if she wishes. Meanwhile, her sister-in-law Duchess Kate regularly goes out and about with bare legs these days.
- Diplomatic dressing is a skill that royal women are expected to master, with their outfits paying homage to whichever country they happen to be visiting. Duchess Kate often wears a maple leaf brooch while in Canada, and every shade of green all at once when in Ireland.
- When royal women sit, their knees must be firmly apart. The way Duchess Kate lets her knees fall to the side has become known as the “duchess slant.”
- At state and diplomatic events, royals enter a room in order of precedence. Thus the Queen goes first, followed by Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, followed by Prince William and Duchess Kate, etc.
- Flashing cleavage is a big no-no. That’s why there are pictures of Princess Diana exiting cars with her handbag pressed to her chest so that nothing would be revealed to the waiting photographers.
- Teacups are pinched between the thumb and forefinger, with the middle finger supporting the base of the cup. Contary to popular belief, extended pinkies are actually frowned upon in the circles we’re talking about.
- Rules for descending stairs: if you’re a man, give your wife a hand. If you’re a woman, keep your chin parallel to the ground. Chins pointing upward or downward indicate that you’re not interested in what’s happening in the room below you. This royal fashion of descending stairs has been nicknamed the “glory glide.”
- Two heirs to the throne should not fly on the same plane in case of some unspeakable tragedy. When Prince George was born, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge broke this rule—they fly regularly with all three of their kids. However, after George turns 12 he will probably fly separately from his father.
- Royals shouldn’t give out autographs because this could make it easier for someone to forge their signature. There’s also a rule against taking selfies with members of the public, but this rule has been broken many times from Prince Harry to the Queen herself.
- Royal brides must have their wedding dresses approved by the Queen. This means that the Queen would have had private viewing of both Kate’s and Meghan’s wedding gowns ahead of their respective big days.
- Skirts should be weighted. This rule was apparently reiterated by the queen following Kate’s infamous “Marilyn Monroe” days circa 2014.
- If a royal likes the smell of your perfume, they won’t refer to it as such. In royal circles perfume is always referred to as “scent.” This is to make it seem as though that lovely smell is merely the natural “scent” of a woman. Next up, learn all about the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration.
