Yahoo News This is why the royals have an unusual wave
There are many quirky royal traditions that we've come come across over the years, from the rule that says dark-coloured nail polish is off the cards to reports that claim nobody is allowed to eat garlic in the presence of Her Majesty. The family certainly do have their own way of doing things, one of which is a particular wave that they use to greet crowds – quite neatly referred to as 'the royal wave'.
But what is the royal wave and why do they do it? Well, according to a documentary series (which is currently available on Netflix) on the history of the royals, The Royal House of Windsor, there's a pretty straightforward reason – and it's all to do with preventing injury.
The series documents the history of the royal family, explaining how Queen Elizabeth II (who is currently self-isolating with 22 others) came to ascend the throne. It also details how Her Majesty's grandfather, King George V, was the first to make a real effort and go out on public engagements (something that had been rare up until that point). He did so in an attempt to win over the country, who felt disconnected from the monarchy at that time, and it's something we're used to seeing royals do today.
Not only was King George V paraded through crowds while sitting in the back of a car, but he also got out and engaged one-on-one with people and visited their homes and factories – unsurprisingly, all this greeting of the public involved a lot of waving and handshaking.
The documentary also details how King George V's son (the Queen's uncle), who briefly ruled as King Edward VIII even saw a doctor over his aching wrist following public engagements. "Once on tour, the [then] prince shook so many hands he was ordered by his doctor to rest his right hand and use his left". Seeing a pattern here?
Other reports have echoed this sentiment, and say that all this waving and handshaking put such a strain on the royal family members wrists that doctors were called in to try and figure out a solution to the problem. Said solution? A less strenuous way of waving.
Today, the way that royals typically wave is a much slower, more controlled movement, which could help prevent wrist aches and pains. It also adds an air of class, according to one royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter, "You can recognise a royal wave immediately. It's a vertical hand with a slight twist from the wrist, a classy affair that oozes decorum but doesn't get too excitable."
So, there you have it! The royals wave in such a fashion because a) it helps them to avoid wrist injuries, and b) it looks better than frantically greeting the crowd in a jazz-hands sort of style.
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