Queen's body language reveals no upper hand in symbolic handshake

The Guardian Tuesday 17th May, 2011

the Queen arrived at the Irish president's official residence, but it still remained to be seen how the handshakes were going to be executed.The British crown wields great influence internationally, which explains why foreign heads of state often get jumpy when they meet the Queen. When former Czech president Vclav Havel met the Queen at Buckingham Palace, his hand was so sweaty he had to wipe it on his trousers, and when George Bush was entertained by the Queen he became a bundle of nerves.When the Irish president, Mary McAleese, shakes hands with people, she frequently uses her left hand to pat the other person's hand during the handshake. This is a "nappy pat", and I have seen her use it with the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, as well as with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II...

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