Kissing hands
"To kiss hands" is a Constitution of [the United Kingdom|constitutional term used in the UnitedKingdom] to refer to the formal installation of the Prime minister of the [United Kingdom|primeminister] or other government ministers to their office.
Overview
In the past, the term referred to the requirement that the actually kiss the hands of themonarch as a symbol of personal fealty and loyalty, that fealty and loyalty being a requirement to serve in the King's or Queen's government.The term continues in use as a metaphor; in modern times, are not expected to physically kiss the hands of the monarch before assuming the role, neither at this ceremony nor at any other point in the process of installing a new. Simply being received by the monarch is taken to validate the selection, with this meeting being described in the as "kissing hands". The invitation issued to a partyleader to form a government is sometimes still described as "aninvitation to kisshands". The metaphorical kissing of hands does not legally take place until the subsequent meeting of the PrivyCouncil, when the new minister is formally appointed as a member of the Council.
When appointing a Secretaryof State, the protocol also involves the delivery by the King or Queen of the seals of office into the hands of the appointee. This is also valid for other officers who are keepers of seals, such as the Lord [Privy Seal|Lord PrivySeal] or the, who is also keeper of the the UnitedKingdom.
History
The ceremony usually takes place in, in the Queen's audienceroom, but it has been known to happen in or. More unusually, in April1908, summoned out of the country to the [Hôtel du Palais|],, France, where theKing was on holiday at the time.In his autobiography, recalled being confused by the fact that the ceremony did not involve literally kissing Queen Elizabeth II's hands, being instead told to "brush them gently with your lips". When he was ushered into the room to meet theQueen, Blair tripped on a piece of carpet and fell onto theQueen's hands.
Due to the failing health of ElizabethII, the 2022 kissinghands ceremony of took place at Balmoral, where the ailing Queen was spending her final days, marking the only time in her reign that the ceremony did not take place at BuckinghamPalace. It was the Queen's last officialact before Death and [state funeral of Elizabeth II|herdeath twodays later]. This was the first time the ceremony took place at Balmoral since1885, when Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, [3rd Marquess of Salisbury|LordSalisbury] began his first stint as prime minister.