Some monarchists have been getting in a bit of flap about this. The Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, who was born in Wales, she said that she is a Republican one day, she seess Australia becoming a Republic. Well, she chose not to curtsey as the Queen got off the plane yesterday. Instead, she chose to shake the Queen's hand and did a very small bow.
Now, actually she wasn't breaking royal protocol. It's no longer mandatory for ladies to curtsey to the Queen. They can do if they wish. Many choose to do so, but the Prime Minister said that's not what she wanted. And today she was forced to defend her actions.
The advice to me was very clear that you can make a choice with what you feel most comfortable with. That's what I feel the most comfortable with. The Queen extended her hand and I shook her hand.
