20 Bizarre Rules You Must Follow If You Meet The Queen
So, it’s your big moment – maybe the single most important moment of your life! You’re about to meet the actual Queen of England in the flesh. And while you’re putting on a brave face, you’re secretly terrified that you’re going to say or do the wrong thing. Even though you won’t be thrown in the Tower of London, the embarrassment of putting a foot wrong would be truly mortifying. Don’t worry; we’ve got your back. These important rules will help you avoid an excruciating faux pas.
Whatever you do, don’t keep the Queen waiting. The monarch is a stickler for punctuality, so you should always make sure that you turn up for your royal meeting long before she’s even in the vicinity. Be warned: the monarch will hold a grudge if you break this cardinal rule – as the Russian president found out.
The president has a reputation for being tardy. Even so, it was still a surprise that he kept the Queen waiting nearly a quarter of an hour for his first state visit to Great Britain back in 2003. Her Majesty got her revenge, though. When it came to their next meeting, she decided a little tit-for-tat would show him who was boss, turning up a full 12 minutes late. That’ll teach him!
The Queen tends to meet most of her subjects indoors. So you wouldn’t think that this particular rule would need to be addressed that often. Of course, when you’re one of the most important women in the fashion industry, style always trumps necessity. And back in 2018 Vogue magazine’s notoriously headstrong editor Anna Wintour certainly wasn’t taking off her famous sunglasses for anyone – not even when sitting next to the monarch.
One expert on royal etiquette wasn’t happy about this. “Ms. Wintour should know that to wear sunglasses when talking to another person, with no medical reason, is unacceptable,” former butler to Prince Charles Grant Harrold told the Press Association. Yet the Queen didn’t seem to mind all that much. Photos of the pair suggest they got on like a house on fire.
