Sanna-Mari Hovi is a Finnish expert familiar with royalty.
Finnish court expert Sanna-Mari Hovi analyzes the meeting between US President Joe Biden and King Charles III for Iltalehti.
Biden arrived on a state visit to Britain on Monday, July 10. During his visit, the president broke traditional royal etiquette by shaking the king’s hand too familiarly and walking ahead of him. According to etiquette, you should not turn your back on the ruler.
Expert Hovi sees the recent meeting between the president and the king as a welcome change to traditional customs, although according to strict etiquette, Biden made a mistake.
– The strict etiquette is being loosened, Hovi comments.
The court describes that Charles has expressed his desire to change the British court and its ways towards the present day. From this point of view, practices may become more down-to-earth in the future than they have been in the past.
The familiar meeting between Biden and Charles is possibly a direction towards a more relaxed reign, when etiquette can be deviated from when meeting other dignitaries.
– Biden patted Charles on the shoulder in a friendly way, Hovi laughs.
– It is good that today politics can be discussed more equally during a state visit, he commented on the relaxed approach of the meeting.
Biden familiarly put his hand on the king’s back, even though according to etiquette you can only touch royals when shaking hands. Stella Pictures
The expert describes that there was an uproar over the etiquette error that occurred in the 2018 meeting between Queen Elizabeth and former President Donald Trump, as it involved an old and exceptionally respected royal. In addition, traditional manners already include the fact that the woman walks first. Because of this, it was considered inappropriate for Trump to walk in front of the Queen.
Hovi specifies that the younger generations of the royals of different countries approach their duties and royal etiquette more relaxed.
Charles’ way of managing and dealing with his guests may differ significantly from Elizabeth’s time. Consequently, Biden’s behavior is no longer necessarily inappropriate, even if it was during the Queen’s time.
– The king’s rooms balance between tradition and modernity, says Hovi.
– On the one hand, they want to be closer to the people, and on the other hand, they have to maintain a certain distance so that they remain interesting and somehow more special than us ordinary people. Without a certain glamour, monarchies lose their meaning, he describes the situation of the courts today.
President Biden and King Charles met at Windsor Castle. The president’s familiar behavior sparked a debate about royal etiquette. ZAHU