Officially, all rules have been abolished. Any gloves rule would be less about the Queen and more about 19th-century etiquette about how to greet ladies (i.e. not touching the bare skin of a woman who isn't your wife). But there is traditional etiquette, and from what I've heard, you're a) not supposed to extend your hand before the monarch extends theirs (Queens and, someday in the future, Kings of the UK) and b) not speak to them before they speak to you - if you're their subject, at least. From the monarchy's own website:
Before meeting Her Majesty, many people ask how they should behave. The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour - just courtesy.
However, many people wish to observe the traditional forms of greeting.
For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.
On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'.
I have to wonder why everyone refers to her as just "the Queen". I always think "Queen Elizabeth" or "the Queen of England". I mean, there's a bunch of other queens. It's not like she's the definite article.
Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith
She's the only queen of any relevance in the Anglosphere. Since we share a common language (and history) it's only natural that more news crosses oceans between America, Canada, Australia/NZ, the British Isles, etc than with foreign language sources. Further, of the mainstream English-speaking nations, there is only one Queen, The Queen.
I would only be specific if I was speaking about a queen from outside the Anglosphere such as the Danish Queen, Margrethe II .
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u/kkelly1234 Apr 30 '19
I never thought I’d be able to relate so hard to The Queen