A friendly greeting during one of Queen Camilla’s royal engagements turned into an etiquette disaster, and former royal butler Grant Harold sees it as a “sign of things to come.” While visiting Maggie’s, a cancer care charity in Gloucestershire, Queen Camilla was greeted with an overly-friendly hug and kiss, rather than a more formal curtsy. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, former royal butler Grant Harold declared the interaction “a massive break of royal protocol,” but praised Queen Camilla for her “relaxed” reaction.
“Officially, this is a massive break of royal protocol,” Harold, who worked as a butler for King Charles from 2004 to 2011, shares. “When meeting a royal, you should curtsy.” While some have compared the practice to medieval times, a curtsy is a show of respect and reverence for tradition. “If you’re friends or know each other well, the royal may come forward for a kiss or a hug,” Harold clarifies, “but it should be entirely led by the royal.”
