met the queen at Holyroodhouse Palace on Wednesday with Scottish Parliament Speaker Allison Johnston, just 24 hours after the SNP leader unveiled plans for a second Scottish independence referendum next October. Former Prime Minister Arlene Foster wrote on Twitter about the recent royal interaction and said the meeting with the Queen was one of the “greatest privileges” she had during her role as Northern Ireland executive. She wrote on Twitter: “Why not [sic] is it sharp ?? “It was one of the greatest privileges I had as NI Foreign Secretary to address members of the royal family, including the Queen’s HM.” Some Twitter users responded to the GB News presenter’s accusations about the interaction. Someone said: “Because it is respected for both parties, but it is not subservient. “You see Nicola, like most self-respecting people, knows that we are all equal and that no one person or group is more entitled than the other.” Another said: “It is not obligatory. When the Queen was in Belfast several years ago and met many locals in St. George’s Market, no one was obliged, neither asked nor obliged to bother her, including me. “We had a rehearsal the day before and all this was discussed,” said another, while another said it was an “anachronistic and awkward” gesture. “Because it is an anachronistic and clumsy gesture that has no place in the modern world. “In case you haven’t noticed (haven’t you?) This is the twenty-first century,” added another. The Royal Family website states that curtsy is not “mandatory” when you meet the Queen or a member of the Royal Family. “There are no mandatory codes of conduct when you meet the queen or a member of the royal family, but many people want to follow the traditional uniforms. For men it is a bow on the neck (from the head only), while women do a little brushing Others just prefer to shake hands in the usual way. During the presentation to the Queen, the correct formal address is “Your Majesty” and then “Lady”, pronounced with a short “a”, as in “jam”. The same rules apply to the male members of the royal family, with the title used in the first case to be “Your Royal Highness” and then “Lord”. For other women members of the Royal Family, the first address is conventionally “Your Royal Highness” and then “Lady”.
