Queen Camilla took part in a four day long US tour (Image: Getty)
Queen Camilla quietly departed from royal protocol during her and King Charles’s state visit to the US, a detail that has largely escaped public attention.
The monarch and his wife spent four days touring Washington DC, New York, and Virginia. While in the Big Apple, the royal pair honored those who died in the 9/11 terror attacks, expressing that they “stand in enduring solidarity with the American people.”
Charles and Camilla’s message of condolence accompanied a floral arrangement placed at the powerful memorial in New York, commemorating the thousands who died nearly 25 years ago.
The victims are remembered through the tribute Reflecting Absence – twin waterfall pools situated within the footprints of the World Trade Center’s north and south towers, which collapsed when terrorists piloted passenger aircraft into the structures.
The King and Queen were joined during their visit by media magnate and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chairs the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and assumed office mere months following the terrorist assault.
Queen Camilla hugged a guest in New York (Image: Getty)
They also encountered Anthoula Katsimatides, another board member of the memorial, who was present alongside other grieving 9/11 family members.
Ms Katsimatides’s brother, John, worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and was among those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. He was a Cantor Fitzgerald employee, dying at the age of 31 on the 104th floor of The World Trade Center. Camilla was observed departing from traditional royal protocol by embracing Ms Katsimatides, who later discussed their encounter.
She said, “I asked if I could hug her. She didn’t hear it at first, so I repeated myself, and she smiled and said ‘Of course’. I’m from Queens and am Greek, and we hug.”
She added, “It’s a real honor for them to come and visit to pay their respects. I can’t stop crying, but it’s fine. The memories are as fresh for me today as they were 25 years ago.”
it is not standard royal protocol to hug a royal (Image: Getty)
Ms,. Katsimatides then said, “One of the big concerns for us is that a generation is growing up not knowing 9/11 and what happened. So to bring a King here to remember the 25th anniversary is so important. It reminds people. We all have a personal story to tell.”
Though not formally mandated, convention typically suggests avoiding initiating physical contact with members of the Royal Family unless they extend it first.
In recent times, however, the royals have shown greater willingness to set aside this custom and have frequently been spotted engaging physically with the public.
The Royal Family’s official website clarifies that there are no mandatory behavioral protocols when meeting the King and Queen or other royals, though many choose to honor traditional practices.
Men typically perform a neck bow (from the head only), while women execute a modest curtsy. Others simply opt for a conventional handshake. When meeting the King, the appropriate initial greeting is ‘Your Majesty,’ followed by ‘Sir’ in subsequent exchanges.
When addressing The Queen, the proper first salutation is ‘Your Majesty,’ with all further conversation using ‘Ma’am,’ pronounced with a short ‘a,’ as in ‘jam.’
The same protocol applies to male members of the Royal Family: ‘Your Royal Highness’ is used as the opening address, followed by ‘Sir’.
For other female members of the Royal Family, the conventional first address is ‘Your Royal Highness,’ with ‘Ma’am’ used in all subsequent exchanges.
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