According to a royal documentary, Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic royal waving is related to her grandfather.
According to the movie “The Royal House of Windsor” on Netflix, King George V often appears in public. That means he will have to shake hands a lot. Therefore, his wrist will be very painful. His son, King Edward VIII, had to see a doctor after his wrist began to ache from repeatedly waving his hand.
The way of waving is often seen in the Queen of England.
The documentary explains: “Once, during a trip, the prince shook hands a lot. He was told by the doctor to rest his right hand and use his left.”
Therefore, to prevent future injuries, the royal waving is done more slowly and with more control.
In 2012, royal expert Victoria Arbiter explained to ABC News: “The hand is placed upright with a slight twist from the wrist, a classy gesture that looks nice but doesn’t appear overly excitable.”
The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, avoids shaking hands to protect her wrists: “In theory you can’t shake hands with everyone, so don’t start doing it. So I’ve always stood by this decision, but I’ve noticed other people don’t.”