Talk:Kissing hands

Surely the title should be "Kissing Hands" (or "Kissing hands"), or do I just have a gerund fixation?--Dub8lad1 21:09, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

I think the term is also used for the appointment of H.M.'s ambassadors. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.185.190.89 (talk) 08:23, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

Request for information
It would be interesting to know which monarch discontinued the actual kissing custom. Does anyone know? Robina Fox (talk) 16:48, 29 September 2013 (UTC)

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Metaphorical or literal?
“The invitation issued to a party leader to form a government is sometimes still described as "an invitation to kiss hands". The metaphorical kissing of hands (i.e. the appointment) does not legally take place until the subsequent meeting of the Privy Council, when the new minister is formally appointed as a member of the Council.[1]”

However, the British Monarchy website cited there refers to literal kissing of hands:

''After a new Prime Minister has been appointed, the Court Circular will record that "the Prime Minister Kissed Hands on Appointment". This is not literally the case. In fact, the actual kissing of hands will take place later, in Council.'' [my emphasis]

There would be no requirement to mention "actual kissing of hands" if the action were a mere metaphor; the first and second sentences would be all that were needed. The third sentence, however, conveys that "not literally the case" refers to "on Appointment", not to the practice or term "kissing hands" as a whole.

Moreover, the Rodney Brazier book incontrovertibly refers to literal kissing of hands, e.g. p. 81.

Perhaps the article ought to be rewritten? Harfarhs (talk) 15:30, 31 July 2018 (UTC)


 * Please, WP:Be bold! Qwfp (talk) 19:45, 31 July 2018 (UTC)


 * I appreciate you coming back so soon, and with encouragement, thanks :) I guess I was hoping that someone might explain either why I was misinterpreting, or offer further sources that contradict the ones given—because it seems to me most odd that those sources are being used to support that article text. But I shall go for it as you suggest :) Harfarhs (talk) 22:13, 31 July 2018 (UTC)
 * This current article, from the House of Commons Library described the actual physical ritual has having "fallen into abeyance." Also the anecdote regarding Tony Blaire seems to describe a possible reason behind this.
 * There is also no kissing of hands, although that phrase is used to describe the process. This used to occur but has fallen into abeyance (Tony Blair, however, recalls tripping on the carpet so he “practically fell upon the Queen’s hands, not so much brushing as enveloping them”). Instead, an incoming male premier will bow and shake hands with the Monarch, and a female premier will curtsy. In recent years this moment has been photographed for the media. There are no other formalities.
 * Since that was relatively a contemporary incident, easy to assume that it can be verified that was when things changed. The article is here, written by David Torrance in 2022: How is a Prime Minister appointed?172.250.237.36 (talk) 13:45, 28 May 2024 (UTC)