Anna Wintour called 'disrespectful' for not removing sunglasses in Queen Elizabeth's presence
Did Anna Wintour make a fashion mistake while meeting Queen Elizabeth? There’s a first time for everything.
On Tuesday, the Vogue editor-in-chief sat front row at designer Richard Quinn’s show wearing her signature sunglasses when Queen Elizabeth walked into the room, making her London Fashion Week debut.
After taking note of the Queen’s presence, Wintour (along with the rest of the guests) stood up and reached for a handshake without removing her shades.
The casual move was slammed on Twitter.
Video: Dame Anna Wintour stood for The Queen today but didn’t take off her glasses. Fashion daarling or breach of protocol? #LondonFashionWeek pic.twitter.com/h22RIP068X
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) February 20, 2018
Anna wintour looked ridiculous wearing the glasses, have a bit of respect when you are talking to the queen!
— Jade (@Jade89834296) February 21, 2018
It’s the question on everyone’s lips. Should Anna Wintour have removed her glasses when she sat with the Queen at fashion week?
— Rhys Brown (@RhysBrown93) February 21, 2018
Like I love Anna Wintour but I don’t care how big she is in the fashion world the fact she kept her blacked out glasses on while talking to the Queen is just awful
— JC (@JackDavidCarter) February 21, 2018
The Queen attends London Fashion Week and effortlessly makes Vogue Editor Anna Wintour look slightly ridiculous in her indoors dark glasses https://t.co/keHU0Bla7l
— Peter Whittle AM (@prwhittle) February 20, 2018
Damn Anna Wintour you could’ve at least took them glasses off for a few minutes you nitwit it’s the freakin Queen of England smh
— Georgia Brown (@RussforMVP2018) February 21, 2018
So Anna Wintour sat next to the queen n refused to take of her glasses at #LFW. I mean what’s the point of the glasses if u can’t see colour at a fashion show and how incredibly rude!
— C (@foxettey) February 20, 2018
The Queen, who was in attendance to present Quinn with a design award, graciously greeted Wintour and the pair were even pictured laughing while enjoying the show.
However, Wintour may have broken royal protocol. According to the official royal website, there is no formal manner in which to receive the queen but there are traditional guidelines: “For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way. On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and subsequently ‘Ma’am,’ pronounced with a short ‘a,’ as in ‘jam.’”
According to royal expert Kelly Lynch, managing editor of DailyBreak, Wintour made three missteps. “She didn’t curtsy and she didn’t allow the queen to initiate the handshake,” Lynch tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “She also could have removed her sunglasses as a sign of respect — in the same way, people remove baseball hats indoors.”
The greeting also fell flat because Wintour is British and a Dame (the female equivalent of a knight), the highest order of merit bestowed by Buckingham Palace. “She knows better,” says Lynch.
However, odds are that the laidback welcome was NBD, says Lynch. “Anna was likely momentarily distracted and the Queen doesn’t hold grudges.”
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