Etiquette is the code of polite conduct expected in formal society — the rules of greeting, precedence and address that allow ceremony to run smoothly. Royal etiquette is its most elaborate surviving form, covering everything from curtsies to seating plans. The discussion around the Princess of Wales’s curtsy at the 2026 Oman state visit showed how alive these rules remain, and how a single gesture can still carry centuries of meaning.
(UK Government / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0))
Mentioned in: Why a Curtsy Still Matters: The History and Meaning Behind Royal Protocol at State Visits