Greeting The King and Queen

The King and Queen meet thousands of people each year in the UK and overseas. Before meeting Their Majesties, many people ask how they should behave. The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour - just courtesy.

However, many people wish to observe the traditional forms of greeting.

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.

On presentation to The King or Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Sir' or 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'.

Related content

Press release 11 October 2023

The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to Kenya

Read more
Press release 09 October 2023

The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Ethiopia

Read more
Press release 26 September 2023

State Visit by the President of the Republic of Korea

Read more

The Queen's speech at the launch of the Prix de L’Entente Littéraire at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Brigitte Macron and I share a deep love of literature and a passion to promote literacy: through our respective work, we have seen first-hand the life-changing power of books...

21 September 2023

The King's speech at the French Senate

Today, in confronting the greatest challenges of our time, we continue the work of those who came before us. When General de Gaulle spoke to the French people from London in...

21 September 2023

The King's speech during the State Banquet at Versailles

Mr. President, in all of this we can rely on our firm friendship, which is renewed and reinvigorated with each new generation.

20 September 2023
News

State Visit to France

20 September 2023
The King and Queen in Paris

The King's message of condolence following the devastation caused by Storm Daniel.

I admire greatly all those who are engaged tirelessly in the rescue efforts in such dire conditions, and praise their selfless bravery.

14 September 2023
Press release 06 September 2023

The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to France

Read more

The King's message regarding the states of emergency declared in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia

Our admiration is unbounded for the tireless work of local officials, volunteers and first responders.

23 August 2023

The King's message to the Lionesses following the result of the World Cup final

To have reached the final at all is an immense tribute to your skill, determination and team spirit in the finest sporting tradition.

20 August 2023

The King's message to The Lionesses following their World Cup semi-final victory

Both teams have been an inspiration on and off the pitch – and, for that, both nations are united in pride, admiration and respect.

16 August 2023

The King's message to President Biden following the devastation caused by the wildfires in Hawai’i

Dear Mr. President, My wife and I were utterly horrified to hear of the catastrophic wildfires currently burning in Maui, Hawai’i. We can only begin to imagine the scale of...

12 August 2023