Bizarre British royal behaviours dictated by protocol: Meghan Markle had to keep her chin parallel to the ground at her wedding and Prince George wasn’t allowed to wear trousers until he turned 8

Aug 4 , 2021

Firm handshakes, chin positioning and shorts vs trousers – life isn’t always the easiest when you’re a British royal. Photos: AP; AFP; @theroyalfamily/Instagram

Royal protocol is one of the things that truly distinguishes the British royal family from other celebrities – no matter whether you’re Queen Elizabeth or a young Prince George, there will always be strict rules and restrictions that govern your every move – especially in public. Let’s take a look at some of them.

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Travel bubbles

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children George, Louis and Charlotte – and for once the boys are wearing trousers. Photo: @dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram

There is a long-standing protocol that two heirs to the British throne cannot travel together. This is to preserve the line of succession in case of an accident. The rule dates back to when air travel was not as safe as it is today. The queen has relaxed the rule since Prince William has had children, which is why the Cambridges have travelled together on several royal tours, such as to Canada in 2016, and Germany and Poland in 2017. However, it was recently reported that will all change when Prince George, William’s oldest son and third in line to the throne, turns 12, and his father will not be able to travel with him again.

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Keep steady eye contact

Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with the Spice Girls in 1997 after their appearance at the Royal Variety performance: note the eye contact. Photo: AP

When shaking hands with the general public, royals are expected to maintain strong eye contact. “A royal handshake should consist of two-to-three pumps, with your palms open and thumbs down,” according to former British butler and etiquette expert Grant Harrold. The handshakes must not appear to give preferential treatment to one person over another.

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Chin up!

Prince Harry guides his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, down the steps of St George’s Chapel – probably just as well given the fact that she can’t look down! Photo: AFP

There are even etiquette rules relating to walking down stairs and simply standing still. Royal women should always have their chins parallel to the ground when walking downstairs or standing, and their hands must also be at their sides.

Stand up, sit down

US President Joe Biden, right and first lady Jill Biden, left, stand with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in June this year. They would have waited until she sat before they could. Photo: AP

When the queen stands, so does everyone in her presence. And don’t even think about sitting down before she does.

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Don’t touch the bag

Those who get the chance to meet the queen must follow strict protocol and behave accordingly – if not, she may be forced to send a secret signal to her aides. Photo: @theroyalfamily/Instagram

According to Capricia Marshall, author of Protocol, Queen Elizabeth’s handbag is not just for looks; she actually uses it to send secret messages to her staff, and under no circumstance are you allowed to touch her bag. “If it’s on one part of her arm, it means the meeting is going fine, leave me alone,” explains Marshall. “But if she lowers it, it means, ‘End this now. I want to go.’”

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Who’s wearing the trousers?

Prince George with his parents in the stands during the UEFA Euro 2020 final between Italy and England in July – one of the first times he’d been seen wearing trousers in public. Photo: EPA-EFE

Royal observers may have noticed Prince George wearing trousers at Wembley when on regal display with his parents Prince William and Kate Middleton for the Euro 2020 finals. So what’s the big deal?

Royal boys wear shorts until age eight, after which time they are allowed to wear trousers. Prince George recently turned eight – however, Prince Louis has also been spotted wearing trousers and he is only three.

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Prince Louis turned three this year and is still rocking his shorts quite happily. Photo: @theroyalfamily/Instagram

The protocol in fact dates back to the 16th century, when royal boys had to wear gowns or dresses until the age of eight, Harrold explained to the BBC. Then they would wear breeches. This transition was known as breeching, which in the Victorian era signified a young boy’s step towards manhood. When this dress tradition died out, it was replaced by shorts and trousers.

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Royalty

Queen Elizabeth has to keep eye contact when shaking hands, but if she stands, so must everyone else; and you won’t guess what her secret handbag signals mean
If you think Prince George can wear whatever he pleases you’d be wrong; in public he always had to wear shorts – at least he did until he turned eight this year