Jon Hamm Followed Royal Rules While Meeting Kate Middleton And Prince William

The stars of Top Gun: Maverick got a quick in royal protocol before meeting Prince William and Duchess Kate.

During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan yesterday, Mad Men star Jon Hamm shared the rundown he received before meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the sequel's London premiere, which was held at Leicester Square last Thursday.

"It's a little anxiety-producing because they give you these rules that you're meant to sort of follow," he said of meeting the royal couple. "You're meant to say, 'Your Royal Highness' — if they offer their name, then you can use their name, but you can't do it first. And you can't offer your hand, they have to offer their hand. Then you have to bow, but you can't bow too low."

The Bridesmaids actor also mentioned the encounter on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon later that day, calling the practices "guidelines that are not so much guidelines as hard and fast rules that you are made to follow."

The monarchy has largely adapted to modern times regarding greetings, with the royal family's official website stating that "there are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family." However, many people do still follow the traditional form of greeting to avoid a faux pas, with men and women opting to do a slight bow or a small curtsey, respectively.

Hamm told host Fallon that the royal pair "couldn't be nicer." He also said that while he had admired Prince William's custom tuxedo shoes, which were embroidered with the F-18 Super Hornet planes from the film, his co-star Miles Teller had "geeked out a little" seeing the prince's eyes.

"I remember coming back afterwards, he was like, 'They're so blue. I got lost in his eyes,'" Hamm said.

This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US