Queen greets good friends Dame Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley with a kiss on the cheek

The Queen flouted royal protocol over the weekend when she greeted her close friends with a kiss on each cheek – despite their insistence on bowing to her.

Camilla, 74, hosted a royal reception at Hampton Court Palace yesterday for the first festival of The Queen’s Reading Room, with guests including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi and Dame Joanna Lumley.

When she stepped out to greet the line of stars, they all bowed or curtsied to welcome the queen.

However, Camilla seemed to have a more casual approach – instead, she offered each person a kiss on each of their cheeks.

There are no mandatory rules for greeting the Queen or members of the Royal Family, but tradition dictates that men want to bow their heads while women make a small bow. A handshake is also perfectly acceptable, but cuddling is not common.

When she arrived at the event, Camilla was seen offering a warm greeting to Dame Judi, who took a quick bow.

However, it seemed that the Queen wanted a friendlier greeting, and instead she put a hand on Judi’s shoulder and kissed her on both cheeks.

It was a similar greeting to Gyles Brandreth, who received a kiss on both cheeks from the Queen before offering her a quick bow of the head.

Meanwhile, Camilla leaned forward for a warm hello with Dame Joanna, kissing her on both cheeks, before Joana bowed in return.

According to the royal family’s website, there are “no mandatory codes of conduct” when meeting members of the royal family.

However, it goes on to explain that “many people want to observe the traditional forms,” ​​which include “a neck bend” or “a little bow.”

Many of the attendees are close friends with Camilla and have attended a number of appointments with her over the years.

The Queen made a glamorous jaunt to Hampton Court Palace yesterday after nearly missing the opening of her inaugural literary festival.

Camilla was held up by highway traffic and missed a star-studded reception to mark the first Queen’s Reading Room Festival.

Fortunately, her understudy – the king – stepped into the breach and took her place in front of her greeting celebrities, including Sir Derek Jacobi, Richard E Grant and Dame Joanna Lumley.

But her official car arrived just in time to be greeted by the star of the evening, Dame Judi Dench – who spoke of her lifelong passion for Shakespeare – along with Dame Joanna and presenter Gyles Brandreth.

“Everything was closed,” the Queen – who looked stylish in a flowing blue Anna Valentine jumpsuit – told Dame Joanna.

She kissed both ladies and their husbands warmly.

“We were gray with fear, but it’s all good now!” replied Lumley.

Buckingham Palace said Her Majesty had unfortunately been detained due to “weather-related transport issues.”

The Queen’s Reading Room started as a post-lockdown Instagram book club to share Camilla’s love of reading and reading.

Now turned into a charity, literary hub tans held its first one-day festival at historic Hampton Court this year.

The festival follows the success of Queen Camilla’s book club which launched on Instagram in January 2021 and has amassed more than 160,000 followers.

The Queen’s Reading Room is a charity that aims to increase the appreciation of literature among adults and children in the UK and around the world.

Charles was previously seen smiling as he greeted guests at a reception for the festival at Hampton Court Palace.

The king’s wife wore a royal blue jumpsuit that she paired with black shoes. Meanwhile, Charles looked good in a navy pinstripe suit.

The event involved various forms of entertainment, such as a screening of Austentatious, the award-winning hit comedy that was seen in the West End and heard on Radio 4.

The cast improvised a humorous new Jane Austen novel inspired by a title created by Queen Camilla.

The variety of novels in Camilla’s book club is sure to keep those reading along entertained as different genres and storytelling styles are explored.