Charles III in France: What protocols should be followed when meeting the King of England?

Strict royal protocol. From their arrival in France on Wednesday until Friday, Charles III and his wife Camilla made various trips between Paris, Versailles and Bordeaux. Should you cross the king’s footsteps in France, know that strict British protocol requires avoiding some bad habits. You also have to behave with him in a very special way.

First of all, you should not question the king as you would with an ordinary person. It’s not up to you to start the conversation, but to him. On the other hand, you owe it to yourself to answer their questions. When introducing yourself to the king, you should use the wording “Your Majesty” followed by “Sir.”

If Charles III comes to visit you, it is imperative to remain polite, but “there are no mandatory codes of conduct,” the British Monarchy website clarifies. However, many people wish to retain the traditional forms of greeting: men bow their heads up and down briefly, and women curtsy a little. Others simply prefer to shake hands the normal way. However, trying to kiss the king or his companion is out of the question.

A king more tactile than his mother

By maintaining that monarchs owe their place and power to God, the old British tradition considers them untouchable. Therefore, it is unacceptable to touch His Majesty. However, today, deviation from this rule is no longer as serious as it was then, even if Queen Elizabeth II did not like to be touched, as Jacques Chirac clumsily did in 2004 or Michelle Obama in 2009.

During his visit to France, Emmanuel Macron has already touched upon Charles III several times, who still appears to be less committed to the rule than his mother, a gesture that still angers the BBC. During several crowd ablutions, he could be seen shaking outstretched hands and being close to the crowd. We’ve even seen him dancing hand in hand with members of the Jewish community in London during Rosh Hashanah in 2022.

Although these traditions no longer exist in a legal sense, they are still more or less practiced today to show some form of respect to the royal family. Since the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1952, there has not been a single imprisonment, fine or diplomatic incident due to the violation of any of these rules. On the other hand, when there is a violation of protocol, the British press does not miss the opportunity to point out that these violations are disrespectful to the British monarchy.