Curtsying

[allenlondon]

When I saw the scene on The Crown where Diana Spencer entered a room containing the queen and other bigwigs and got the curtsying business wrong, I thought it was an invention by the producers to underline the nonsense of the monarchy.

Not a bit of it.

Peter Wilby, in his weekly 'First Thoughts' column in the New Statesman, relates this story. An elderly monarchist wanted to 'do her bit' after Diana Spencer was killed, so got an unpaid job at Kensington Palace dealing with the post and such like.

One day she was carrying a tray of tea and biscuits along a corridor when she encountered Princess Anne, and the protocol was to curtsy. The old woman didn't, fearful that she might drop her tea and biscuits.

Later that day, she was reprimanded by her superiors; Anne had reported her insubordination. The old women left the Palace immediately, foreswearing any future support for the monarchy or any of their hangers-on.

Curtsy my Jim Royle.

[woofgang]

have you got any proof apart from something that was told to a journo?

[ToraToraTora]

sounds like BS to me, Anne was well known as a hater of all that cobras.

[burlyshirley]

Sounds about right to me, Princess Anne is a haughty mare.

[Mamyalynne]

The piece is here - there's a bit too much he said/she said for me and nowhere does it say that the complaint was made by Princess Anne.

Regardless of who complained,I don't blame the volunteer for leaving.

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2021/03/first-thoughts-cressida-dick-s-difficult-calls-piers-morgan-martyr-and-cost-non

[AuntPollyGrey]

//Princess Anne is a haughty mare.//

No she is not. Have you ever met her? I have, on numerous occasions at Horse Events when she was married to Mark Phillips. She could not be less Royal if she tried. Unfortunately, like many, she has a rather fierce 'resting' face.

[Bobbisox1]

She’s her fathers daughter and appears not to suffer fools gladly, she’s a hard worker for the ‘firm’ and that’ll do fo me

[barry1010]

I've always liked Anne.

[naomi24]

Allen believes all he sees if it suits his agenda - including the drama of television dramas. Diana was born into the aristocracy. Her childhood playmates included the queen’s children. She was aware of etiquette.

Anne, having refused titles for her children, can’t be that hung up on protocol.

[johnny.5]

I heard that if they had not collected enough curtsies before sun down they turned into lizards

Am I Right ?
I'm Not Wrong

[burlyshirley]

APG I think she's a haughty mare and I'm entitled to my opinion, just like you !

[burlyshirley]

Everyone always says she's a hard worker, I never see her at 'work' ! Loves telling people to naff off lol ...

[Mamyalynne]

I don't see her at work, mainly because she doesn't invite me along.

Her past engagements are all in the Court Circular.

[emmie]

Mr Em met her on many occasions and always said she was engaged with the subject matter in question, and that she always seemed polite and hard working.

[The Builder]

I once met (very briefly) Princess Anne years ago as she was driving her horsebox in a country lane in North Devon.

I can't say from such a short meeting of course, but I'd be very surprised if this story is accurate.
I think the old relative might have meant Princess Margaret.
That would be more likely.

[sandyRoe]

This curtsying story seems unlikely.
You'll all remember the account of a commoner dining with the Royals who drank from his finger bowl. The king promptly did the same, as did the rest of the diners. The Royals have impeccable manners and effortlessly put us lesser mortals at ease.

[nailit]

Read an article many years ago (and one that I remember posting on here years ago) by one of her ex household officials that stated that she had ate more spit in her meals than any other royal.

Spitting into someone's meal is abborhant but says something about how her staff perceive her.

[tiggerblue10]

I agree with this scenario being more likely to be linked with Princess Margaret rather than Anne.

[emmie]

me too ^^

[Mozz71]

"It can't be true" shriek the AB massive, "as we all like Anne, she's salt of the earth I tell you."

"Let's prooflessly blame Princess Margaret instead."

This must be the "suits the agenda" stuff Naomi spoke of.

[naomi24]

Would you rather ‘prooflessly’ blame Ann then, mozz? Seems to me there’s no proof that the story has any validity at all.