Ready for lunch

I hope the Duke is bowing low enough, and not making too many wise cracks. Her Maj looks a little worried in case.

I'd say H.R.H. is bowing at just the right level. He is after all inferior in rank to H.I.M.

Why is the queen doing a hip-hop welcome?

Royal titles are ridiculous especially since practically none of them are earned they are all given. I am all for tradition and such but how much money will be spent on this event that could have been better spent on helping people or doing something productive,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhyYgnhhKFw

the royal family in England adds billions of pounds to the British government's coffers.

I wonder whether the Greek guy made any more racist foot-in-mouth gaffes?

dare desu ka? ^_^ lol

Royals=glorified business people

Who can image the headache of etiquette and protocol that goes on with this?

Half-handshake going on there. How many of those have I gotten here?

What was on the menu?

alf-handshake going on there. How many of those have I gotten here?

Indeed. The Japanese handshake is like being handed a refrigerated trout.

Royalty loves Royalty!

The Queen looks like shes just waiting for the moment that Prince Philip is well known for.

Well, for most of us in life there is no such thing as a free lunch. But get born into the right family and you not only get free lunches but a free life. And the incredible thing is the masses who have their pockets picked by royalty line the streets to wave at them.

I am not a fan of any kind of blue blood, but I am always impressed by the smiles of the both Japanese ones. Giving such a sincere impression of enjoying life is so uncommon in the official Japan. At least a very good example to be followed.

Love Akihito's hair, so voluminous and smart not to dye it too.

Monarchies are just another way to keep people under control. Even these two still have control of more wealth and influence than any one should have. They are not good examples to follow.

But get born into the right family and you not only get free lunches but a free life.

Right. It's a prison sentence with money and fine residences. Some luck. You cannot go anywhere independently or anonymously. That's hardly lucky. What is lucky is that some royals manage to make a rewarding life and contribute to others and good causes out of such karma.

Nobody should bow to them.

And maybe no one is bowing to the Emperor but leaning in toward the person you are meeting. That's a natural human gesture toward familiars--you lean in to shake hands or hug or do the kissy-kissy thing depending on your culture. Also, older people are stooped, and often taller ones naturally stoop towards shorter ones to make the eye level more equal. There were pictures of Princesses Beatrice & Eugene bending toward one of the petite Arab royals.

The celebrity astronaut did not show up. He was "out to launch". Heh heh.