How to Greet the Queen

The queen of England is a very popular figure around the world. When it comes to greeting the queen, there are traditional ways of going about it. If you are not sure how to greet the queen, the following steps will help you.

Instructions

1. Usually the main thing to keep in mind is to be courteous. The rules are slightly different for men than they are for women and so you will need to know which greeting to give depending upon whether you are male or female.

2. If you are a man then the first thing you should do when meeting the queen is bow your head.

3. If you are female, greet the queen with small curtsy. Whether you are male or female, you can simply just shake the queen's hand if you would prefer.

4. When speaking to the queen, address her as "Your Majesty." Afterwards, you may address her as "Ma'am" throughout the conversation.

5. When meeting the queen, stay quiet unless you are spoken to. Whilst these are modern times, it is traditional to wait until the queen speaks to you.

6. Don't forget to smile. It is a happy occasion after all and you do not want to seem miserable about meeting the queen.

7. If you would like to follow tradition, never leave a room before the queen does. If you must leave first, walk out backwards, as it is rude to show the queen your back. However, in these modern times, this is certainly not an essential rule.

8. If write to the queen, address her as "Your Royal Highness" or
   "Your Majesty." Close with "Yours Sincerely." If you want to open more formally, use "Madam" and close with "I have the honor to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant."

Tips & Warnings

• These rules only apply to people living in Britain. However, the rules are not overly strict. Being courteous is the important thing.

• You are not permitted to touch the queen. If you do, you could be arrested, or at least tackled, by her bodyguards or the police.