'Protocol card' handed out before you meet a royal

Meeting a member of the royal family is a privilege but it can also be tricky to know how to address them.

They are, after all, royal.

So, when a group of teenagers were given the opportunity to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Wednesday, a set of rules was handed out to make the process clear.

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The royal couple was visiting the Barnsley hostel, in South Yorkshire, where 17 youths are housed. The hostel is run by a homeless charity called Centrepoint, an organisation Prince William's late mother Diana used to assist.

The laminated tips sheet titled 'Protocol: Members of the Royal Family' with instructions on how address Prince William and Kate and how to approach a handshake was handed out.

"Addressed as 'Your Royal Highness' on first greeting," the card read.

"Followed by 'Sir' or 'Ma'am' (rhymes with tram).

"People are 'presented' (not introduced)

"HRH will offer their hand if a handshake is required.

"No need to bow or curtesy (but a respectful lowering of the head is appropriate)."

But it seems Prince William isn't too fussed on members of the public following royal protocol.

The Duke joked with one of the teens that the rules need to be updated.

"He just laughed about it," Chelsea Jenkins, 23, told People.

"He said something about updating it."

Of course, who could forget the famous line from the 2006 movie The Queen, when then-Prime Minister Tony Blair was being advised how to address Her Majesty: "And remember, it's 'Ma'am' as in 'ham', not 'Ma'am' as in 'farm'."