Bowing and Curtseying


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Christening of Prince Oskar, Duke of Skane

While watching the service, I thought it interesting how, as the King and Queen approached the alter, it seem that the only people to pay respects to them were the foreign royals - namely CP Mary and CP Hakkon.
 
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Bryce said:
Christening of Prince Oskar, Duke of Skane

While watching the service, I thought it interesting how, as the King and Queen approached the alter, it seem that they only people to pay respects to them were the foreign royals - namely CP Mary and CP Hakkon.
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Bowing/curtsying to royals is no longer routinely observed in Sweden; it happens only infrequently (in the recent celebrations of King Carl Gustaf's birthday, I noticed that a few children who gave him flowers curtsied/bowed).

Interestingly, the Swedish princesses like Victoria never seem to curtsy to their parents, but they always curtsy to foreign monarchs or former monarchs (Queen Margrethe, King Juan Carlos, Princess Beatrix, etc.). The same happens BTW in the Netherlands where Maxima, as a princess, never curtsied to her in-laws, but normally curtsied to foreign monarchs in state visits and other occasions.

CP Mary, on the other hand, adheres to the strict Danish protocol and always curtsies, not only to her mother-in-law and older sovereigns, but also to her "girlfriends" Maxima and Mathilde, which I find rather awkward.
 
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Mbruno said:
Interestingly, the Swedish princesses like Victoria never seem to curtsy to their parents, but they always curtsy to foreign monarchs or former monarchs (Queen Margrethe, King Juan Carlos, Princess Beatrix, etc.). The same happens BTW in the Netherlands where Maxima, as a princess, never curtsied to her in-laws, but normally curtsied to foreign monarchs in state visits and other occasions.

CP Mary, on the other hand, adheres to the strict Danish protocol and always curtsies, not only to her mother-in-law and older sovereigns, but also to her "girlfriends" Maxima and Mathilde, which I find rather awkward.
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I think that the Royal Houses all have their set protocol when dealing with family both publicly and privately. If you go back a few threads and view the video I posted of the Windsors at a family garden party, they all pay compliments to The Queen and The Queen Mother but not to each other.

The Press always seems to make a big deal about saying that this Princess has to now curtsy to this "grander" Princess etc etc etc... but it just does not happen.

As for the awkwardness of paying compliments to the "new" monarchs, as I mentioned over on the Order of Precedence" thread - I do not think that it is awkward nor do I think they do. This is how they have been brought-up/taught. They are paying respect to their new office. I do not think that CP Mary feels any lessor a friend to Queen Maxima - CP Mary curtsies to acknowledge Maxima's position not her superiority. Their status as friends, I am sure, has not been altered.
 
Bryce said:
I think that the Royal Houses all have their set protocol when dealing with family both publicly and privately. If you go back a few threads and view the video I posted of the Windsors at a family garden party, they all pay compliments to The Queen and The Queen Mother but not to each other.

The Press always seems to make a big deal about saying that this Princess has to now curtsy to this "grander" Princess etc etc etc... but it just does not happen.

As for the awkwardness of paying compliments to the "new" monarchs, as I mentioned over on the Order of Precedence" thread - I do not think that it is awkward nor do I think they do. This is how they have been brought-up/taught. They are paying respect to their new office. I do not think that CP Mary feels any lessor a friend to Queen Maxima - CP Mary curtsies to acknowledge Maxima's position not her superiority. Their status as friends, I am sure, has not been altered.
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Mary was not "brought up" as a royal. She was born in an ordinary middle-class family from Australia. The reason why she now curtsies to Maxima, Mathilde or Letizia is simply that she has to follow Danish protocol. I have no doubt that their friendship has not been altered, but it is awkward nonetheless and, in my opinion, old-fashioned.
 
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Mbruno said:
Interestingly, the Swedish princesses like Victoria never seem to curtsy to their parents, but they always curtsy to foreign monarchs or former monarchs (Queen Margrethe, King Juan Carlos, Princess Beatrix, etc.). The same happens BTW in the Netherlands where Maxima, as a princess, never curtsied to her in-laws, but normally curtsied to foreign monarchs in state visits and other occasions.

CP Mary, on the other hand, adheres to the strict Danish protocol and always curtsies, not only to her mother-in-law and older sovereigns, but also to her "girlfriends" Maxima and Mathilde, which I find rather awkward.
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Of course you find it awkward...It's Mary ;)

Victoria curtsies to foreign monarchs, like Mary does. Maxima curtsies to foreign monarchs, like Mary does. Mary curtsies to "her girlfriends" Maxima and Mathilde, who are now foreign monarchs....

Isn't that what she is supposed to do, according to you?
In Denmark, Mary and Marie curtsy to their mother-in-law and PH.
That is the custom in Denmark.


 
Mbruno said:
Mary was not "brought up" as a royal.
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Knowing that, in my example, CP Mary was not brought-up royal I said "This is how they have been brought-up/taught."

In my opinion, there is nothing old fashioned about respect.
 
In my opinion, there is nothing old fashioned about respect.
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Indeed... one is only incidentally honouring the individual concerned, one is honouring the position they hold, and their country...
 
wyevale said:
Indeed... one is only incidentally honouring the individual concerned, one is honouring the position they hold, and their country...
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If so, why don't they curtsy also to an elected president to honor the position he/she holds and his/her country ? Well, Mette-Marit does, or at least she did once to President Obama.
 
Moving Clip:
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry bow and curtsey to The Queen and Prince Philip as they leave the Service of Thanksgiving 2016-
"she's been a joy from heaven."
 
Very nice of them to do so. She is the future Queen.


LaRae
 
ImageUploadedByThe Royals Community1465940589.051267.jpg

Zara Tindall at Royal Ascot


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando The Royals Community
 
Zara and Camilla can both rock the deep curtsey :flowers: Kate not so much yet but guess practice makes perfect :)
 
Deep curtseys always look so awkward to me.
 
Probably looked a lot better back in the day when women wore full skirts when doing it. Does seem a bit awkward it short modern dresses.

I remember in my grad dress trying to do a full curtsey (tomboy feeling like a princess for one night). I admit I could actually do a full almost to the floor curtsey, but lucky legs hid behind my ball skirt, as my legs likely looked as elegant as a hippo doing ballet (Fantasia). Dress hid it :cool:
 
IMO, Zara curtsey looks more like a squat than a curtsey.

Kate's dress/coat gets caught up between her knees so it also looks like a squat.

Camilla's curtsey extends the dress forward, which looks more like a proper curtsey.
 
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I would imagine Camilla, growing up in a different era, has had better training from childhood on...and well some people are naturally more graceful at things.


LaRae
 
At least in Camilla vs Zara, Camilla's dress has a fuller skirt which allows for a more graceful curtsey. In a more fitted dress like Zara's, a deeper curtsey does have a bit of a squat feel. Kate's dress should work good for a curtsey, just needs practice.
 
Pranter said:
I would imagine Camilla, growing up in a different era, has had better training from childhood on...and well some people are naturally more graceful at things.


LaRae
Click to expand...


You think that Camilla had better training than the Queen's granddaughter?
 
The Royal ladies curtesy in the way they feel comfortable doing. The Queen is said to not be fully impressed by very deep curtsies. The Queen herself was never seen dipping low when she was a princess. It's was always a bob up and down for her.
 
Ish said:
You think that Camilla had better training than the Queen's granddaughter?
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Formal training, yes. It was the "done" thing up until recent times that a young woman after finishing her academic education would then head off to finishing school which taught the refined arts that a well bred, aristocratic woman would need in high society. Curtsying, etiquette and speaking French are just some of the subjects that were taught. Camilla attended the Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland and the Institut Britannique in Paris.

To my knowledge, none of the Queen's granddaughters have had any kind of formal training such as finishing schools. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
:previous: Correct. Especially not Zara who has lived a private life. Do those finishing schools exist even more :ermm: The only kind of finishing school her granddaughters did after secondary school is University
 
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