Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has come under fire from Arlene Foster for bowing to the Queen rather than bowing at a recent meeting in Edinburgh.
he met the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Wednesday with the Speaker of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, just 24 hours after the SNP leader unveiled plans for a second Scottish independence referendum in October next year.
Former Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster tweeted about the recent royal interaction, saying meeting the Queen was one of the “greatest privileges” she had during her role on the Northern Ireland Executive.
She tweeted: “Why didn’t you? [sic] is she bowing? It was one of the greatest privileges I had as FM of NI to bow to members of the royal household, including HM the Queen.”
Some Twitter users are hitting back at the GB News presenter’s accusations about the interaction.
One said: “Because it is respectful of both sides, but not submissive. You see Nicola as most normal self-respecting people know that we are all equal and that no person or group has more right than another.”
Another said: “It is not mandatory. When the Queen was in Belfast a few years ago and met many locals at St Georges Market, no one was obligated, asked or obliged to make a curtsy for her, including me. We had a rehearsal the day before and this has all been discussed,” another said, with one person saying it was an “anachronistic and clumsy” gesture.
“Because it’s an anachronistic and clumsy gesture that has no place in the modern world. In case you haven’t noticed (you haven’t?) this is the twenty-first century,” added another.
The Royal Family’s website states that a bow is not “mandatory” when meeting the Queen or any member of the Royal Family.
“There are no mandatory codes of conduct when meeting the Queen or any member of the Royal Family, but many people like to observe the traditional shapes. For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only), while women make a small bow Other people prefer to just shake hands in the usual way.
“On presentation to the Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Majesty’ and then ‘Ma’am’, pronounced with a short ‘a’, as in ‘jam’. The same rules apply to male members of the royal family, with the title initially ‘Your Royal Highness’ and then ‘Sir’.
“For other female members of the royal family, the first address is conventionally ‘Your Royal Highness’ and then ‘Ma’am’.”