Respect Due: Would You Curtsey To Camilla Or Bono?
THE Mail has a question: “Would you CURTSEY to Camilla?”
“Cherie wouldn’t. Sarah Brown graciously did. But by bending the knee to royalty, the PM’s wife sparked a furious debate…”
We would have it that the question was thrown open and the nodding heads lined up by the Mail invited to say who they would show deference to.
Ingrid Tarrant says “YES” she would curtsey to Camilla, should Camilla ever be in her local Surrey butcher’s say, or wine bar. But would she extend the same courtesy to Bob Geldof, Anthea Turner or Jordan?
Maeve Haren, Rosie Millard, Melanie McDonagh, Margaret Cook and Victoria Coren all says “NO”. They are all writers by trade or, heaven help us, journalists.
Would any of them prefer to appear with the rich and the celebrated rather then the merely royal? Sarah Brown genuflects for Camilla; Gordon Brown bends at the knee of the Arctic Monkeys.
The hereditaries are barred from the House of Lords, replaced by Lord Hucknell of Manchester, Lord Bono of G8 and Lady Fiona Phillips. It is not a class thing, as Cherie Blair might well have supposed, rather one of respect. And who do you respect, Camilla or the new Queen of the celebrity jungle, or American royalty..?
November 27th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Would curtseying be enough for Bono? I’m sure I remember Sinead O’Connor getting herself in a whole lot of trouble years ago when she shed light on the theory that “no-one gets out of Ireland without kissing Bono’s ring”?
November 28th, 2007 at 1:56 am
The Queen herself does not expect people to curtsey to her. For her to say “no need to do so” would be extremely rude, so Queenie is very gracious and bows her head in response. No, would not curtsey to anyone, but the Queen, if I felt like it.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I cant think that I would spend much time bowing to Camilla, but on the other hand I guess if I was presented with a naked Rosie Millard ( http://www.rosiemillard.com ) I would have no option but to go down.
December 13th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Do you curtsey to whores in your country too then?