Canada’s governor general breached protocol by momentarily touching the Queen during an official engagement to ensure she “did not slip”.
David Johnston, 76, was seen supporting the 91-year-old by gently touching her elbow as she ascended steps at Canada House in London on Wednesday. He did the same as she left the building, which she visited with the Duke of Edinburgh in honour of the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.
Although the move attracted comments from all over the world, Mr Johnston said later he was well aware of the usual etiquette. “Well, I’m certainly conscious of the protocol,” he told CBS News. “I just was anxious to be sure that there was no stumbling on the steps. It’s a little bit awkward, that descent from Canada House to Trafalgar Square, and there was a carpet that was a little slippy, and so I thought perhaps it was appropriate to breach protocol just to be sure that there was no stumble.”
The royal website says there are “no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting the Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms”. It is generally accepted that members of the public do not touch the Queen but Michelle Obama broke the protocol in 2009 when she put her arm round the monarch’s shoulders during a visit to the UK. The former Australian prime minister Paul Keating did the same in 1992.