Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbin was taken in as a member of the Privy Council, and expected to follow traditional rites, but Corbyn did not kneel down before the queen.
A lifelong republican, Corbyn attended the important ceremony held in the Buckingham Palace to grant him admission to be part of the confidential security briefings, The Guardians reports.
Although he was able to comply to with the customary procedures, which highly include kneeling down in front of the monarch, Corbyn managed to defy tradition, noting that Buckingham Palace does not compel Privy Council Members to do things that are not comfortable for them.
Before the ceremony, Corbyn implied that he would not be kneeling, saying, “I don’t expect to be kneeling at all, no,” he said. “I expect to be nominated to the privy council and that’s it.”
The Labour leader indicated his desire for some things to change in the society, and referring to the traditional kneeling, “and maybe that’s one of them”.
Traveling to the palace to join the ceremonial rite at 5:30pm, Corbyn disqualified the speculations that he might try to become a member by an order in the council, rather than to participating in the ceremony in person.
The protocol states, “The new privy counsellor or minister will extend his or her right hand, palm upwards, and, taking the Queen’s hand lightly, will kiss it with no more than a touch of the lips.”
The members of the Privy Council, on the other hand, are expected to to defend the monarch against “all foreign princes, persons, prelates, states or potentates”.
The council bears a powerful title, and is the oldest functioning legislative assembly in the UK. Corbyn, being a member of the council has right to obtain security information that are not readily laid out to the public.
From the time he become the Labour Leader, Corbyn is receiving criticisms from the media over his involvement on the Buckingham Palace ceremony.
