The Queen, 93, is much-loved across the globe, promoting the UK monarchy and diplomatic royal relations on a variety of overseas tours. More recently, Prince Philip’s wife has relied on the support of younger family members such as son Prince Charles, and grandson Prince Harry, to take on her duties overseas. Yet one excursion she felt very necessary to undertake in person was the first UK state visit of a monarch to Ireland in 100 years, in May 2011. The Queen and her husband travelled across the Irish sea for the monumentally significant trip, between May 17 and 20, at the invite of then Irish President Mary McAleese.
It was during her trip to a memorial of the victims fighting for Irish freedom and independence from Northern Ireland that the monarch made her significant break with royal tradition.
This was detailed in royal biographer Robert Hardman’s new book, Queen of the World, in which he wrote: “The Queen then placed her wreath against the memorial to ‘all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom’, took three steps back, and bowed.
“It was no perfunctory nod of the head – as might be expected from a courtier at the palace.
“This was a very clear and pronounced leaning forward from the waist up.
“The monarch who bows to no-one was bowing to the heroes of Irish nationalism.”
She performed the gesture as she laid a wreath at Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance to mark the hugely symbolic trip, and the lives lost during the war for Irish independence.
Robert added of the act of reconciliation: “She had still not been heard to utter a word.
“Few people had actually seen her in the flesh.”
Meanwhile, the Queen as the head of the royal family is not expected to bow to anyone.
Yet she broke the protocol on home turf, in the UK, in 1997, when she bowed to the coffin of the late Princess Diana.
Meanwhile, for members of the public meeting the monarch, website Royal.uk offers some advice.
It states: “There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms.
“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.”
Meanwhile, a travel custom that Prince Philip, 97, always prefers to follow has come to light.
Clearly preferring to travel in the best possible flight class he made his thoughts on Economy class – usually the cheapest form of ticket on an airline – very clear indeed.
Prince Philip previously announced to the Aircraft Research Association: “If you travel as much as we do, you appreciate the improvements in aircraft design of less noise and more comfort – provided you don’t travel in something called economy class, which sounds ghastly.”
