“Girls are never taught to curtsy now, as they used to be. A real old-fashioned “courtesy”, as it used to be spelled, is quite an elaborate performance. First you draw back the right foot, getting it straight behind the other, and down you go, as far as the suppleness of your limbs will permit, coming up to the “recover” with all the weight on the right foot, and the left pointed out most daintily…The only trace of this old-fashioned and very graceful bit of deportment is the deep reverence made by the ladies at Her Majesty’s Drawing -Rooms. Some of them perform it with practiced aplomb. Others never achieve it. There is a very pretty young princess who plumps down with a suddenness that always makes the Royal circle smile.”

Manners for Women, 1897, by Mrs Humphry

The old-fashioned curtsy, a word that derives from “courtesy”, dates to the Middle Ages and the association of the curtsy with young ladies, rather than gentlemen, can be traced back to the 17th century. The curtsy was a traditional gesture of respect to someone of higher rank or social status and, as such, it became a gesture of compliance and deference. Curtsies feature frequently in the novels of Jane Austen, where they become elegant, and silent, gestures of mockery, submission or acquiescence, depending on the context: towards the end of Pride and Prejudice, faced by Mr Darcy, “Elizabeth merely curtsied to him, without saying a word”.

Curtsies were the commonly accepted greeting on meeting a member of the Royal Family and even within the Royal Family itself, there was an elaborate system of curtsies, which marked rank and precedence, which persists to this day.

The quote above from Mrs Humphry’s indispensable guide to etiquette indicates that, over the course of the Victorian era, the curtsy had begun to fall out of fashion. Ladies had found themselves increasingly encumbered by hooped skirts and bustles, which made the gesture undetectable, unless it was an exaggerated movement downwards (known as a “court curtsy”), which understandably was hard to perform elegantly as it also involved holding up the skirts to ensure that there was no tripping or hem-treading.

The bow and handshake had become increasingly common and, as the 19th century progressed, the feeling seemed to be that pausing to make frequent curtsies on entering a room was cumbersome and slowed down ease of movement. A slight bow of the head as the lady moved past (the “walking bow”) was seen as much more practical. Curtsies were seen as the proper salutation to a partner before a lady commenced to dance and were increasingly consigned to the ballroom and court presentations.

Contemporary Curtsies

There are no compulsory codes of behaviour on meeting the Royal Family and it is entirely up to the individual whether they choose to curtsy or merely bow their head, which is usually followed by a handshake. Foreign dignitaries, such as world leaders, are not required to curtsy, even though some choose to do so.

To perform a modern curtsy, transfer the weight to one foot (usually the left), while the ball of your other foot is placed behind the leading foot. Bend at the knees, keeping the back straight, holding your hands by your side and bowing your head. It is best to dispense with glasses and handbags before attempting to curtsy.

Curtsies undoubtedly look more elegant when they are performed in a long dress, which conceals the somewhat gawky position of the legs during the process of descent and ascent, merely revealing neatly turned-out feet. The safest bet, if called upon to curtsy, is not to descend too far, satisfying yourself with an elegant bobbing motion. Ladies who choose a more ambitious, balletic movement may find their ascent back to the standing position is onerous and of course there is always a danger of losing balance and staggering. While it might be postulated that the depth of the curtsy is commensurate with the level of respect on display, appearing to be ungainly or histrionically submissive is not a good look.