DEAR MISS MANNERS: In a TV show about Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, they described the first time Meghan met the queen. This was when they were still dating, so she did not have any royal titles. She was an American citizen, not British royalty.

I heard that Prince Harry told Meghan at the last minute, in the car on the way to the meeting, that she was going to have to curtsy to the queen. The only thing that Meghan apparently wondered was whether she knew how, and if she would do it well enough.

But I was always taught, even as a child, that after the American revolution, Americans did not curtsy to foreign royalty. Am I incorrect? Was Meghan required to curtsy to the monarch of another country, just because she was dating the monarch's grandson?

Does it have to do with what position one holds in the United States? For instance, if the president and his wife visit the queen (or now the king), is the first lady expected to curtsy? Or is it simply that American citizens do not curtsy to royalty, but instead show respect in other ways? If so, what are they?

What should Meghan Markle really have been expected to do?

GENTLE READER: You are quite right that American citizens -- and especially American officials -- should not show obeisance to foreign potentates, which is what a curtsy (or bow) symbolizes.

Nor do British diplomats show this to anyone except their own monarch. The British diplomat and historian Sir Harold Nicolson wrote about the lengths to which British officials went to avoid kowtowing to the emperor of China without creating offense.

Not creating offense is another diplomatic objective, and not only for professional diplomats.

Miss Manners can imagine that this factor would prevail with someone who is about to meet her future grandmother-in-law and whose future husband has informed her of that person's expectations.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My boss and I have the same degree in our field, which we each received at approximately the same time. When he writes out his name -- in his email signature, for example, and in his biography on the organization's website -- he includes both the honorific associated with the degree before his name and the letters after it (e.g., Dr. John Smith, Ph.D.).

When I received my degree, I was taught that it was incorrect to do this in writing -- that one could include the honorific (Dr. John Smith) or the letters (John Smith, Ph.D.), but not both.

Maybe this is trivial, but we work in a setting where style, grammar and tradition are of key importance. My first question is: Am I correct in my understanding? And second: If so, may I suggest that he remedy this little error?

GENTLE READER: 1. Yes. 2. No.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a middle school-age boy. My mother is a great person, except for one thing: She is always convinced she is right.

If something annoys her, she will explode and go into a rant about how she is the victim and is being horribly mistreated. Anything different or contradictory from her views is simply sour grapes.

I cannot think of a polite way to address this, since she will more than likely launch into a tirade, and also since I'm her son. What would be a polite, respectful thing to say to my mother?

GENTLE READER: "I am so sorry that that happened to you. How should we plot our revenge?"

If she is indeed a great person, she will find the humor in this and realize she has, perhaps, overstated her mistreatment. If not, Miss Manners suggests that you stick to only the first sentence.

The goal is to stay on her good side by showing your loyalty -- without implicating yourself in any retaliatory crimes.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in a city in which a wide variety of languages are spoken, though I, to my shame and regret, seem genetically predisposed to monolingualism. Because of our town's linguistic diversity, I frequently interact with salespeople, restaurant servers, medical professionals and folks in other public-facing occupations for whom English is not their native tongue.

Often, I find it very, very difficult to understand what I'm being told because of the speaker's accent. I always preface my requests that they repeat themselves with apologies for not knowing their language.

How can I better handle these awkward exchanges to minimize everyone's discomfort?

GENTLE READER: While Miss Manners encourages worldliness, she also assures you that you do not have to be embarrassed for not knowing every language spoken in your town. But you also do not wish to discourage anyone else's attempts at mastering yours.

How about this for a solution? Apologize -- not for your lack of linguistic mastery, but for your lack of comprehension. Yes, you will both know what is really happening, but it will come across as much more gracious than awkward -- or self-flagellating.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have two sisters who died too soon -- one from cancer and one in a car accident. My remaining sister has said numerous times that she plans to throw herself a huge party when she outlives the young ages they got to.

She is highly competitive, but this is ridiculous. If she brings it up again, is it all right to say something like, "I hope you can find someone to celebrate that with"?

She doesn't listen to me, and I absolutely would not attend such a tacky event, but I would like a way to give her a clue that we don't compete with the unfortunate dead.

GENTLE READER: "I am happy to celebrate your birthday, but not if it's in connection with the untimely death of our sisters. If that's your intention, please do not include me. I would rather celebrate you -- and mourn them -- separately and privately."

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in my 50s and do not have anyone I can call a real friend. My closest friend of 37 years passed away a little over a year ago. Needless to say, I am heartbroken.

An acquaintance from my past recently reconnected with me through email. While she was a very fun travel buddy in our younger days, she was also a braggart, telling false stories to make herself sound better. She would tell anyone who would listen about her many sexual experiences, though I kept telling her that she was making herself look bad.

I used to have a lot of people asking me, "Why in the world would you want to be around that girl and her horrible reputation?" But I always felt that there was a very sweet, misguided young woman underneath it all.

Through our many emails these days, I can tell that she is bragging again, about professional matters this time (she is now married). When I email her, I reminisce fondly about the many trips we took together in our 20s. I ask friendly questions and tell her that I would love to see her again. Her responses, nine times out of 10, are only about her job. It's almost like she just wants someone to speak at, not with.

My questions go without an answer, even though I do not ask anything remotely prying. She just talks about her job, or how rotten her husband was the night before. (The next email will be about her job, and how sweet her husband was the night before.)

At this point, I have given up on ever getting together. Our "relationship" is very much like the one we had in our 20s.

What should I say to her? I do not want to be mean or rude, but I thought she was over herself.

GENTLE READER: It is a pitiful truth that it is often far more lonely to be with someone who treats you poorly than to actually be alone. Miss Manners is afraid that such is the case here.

This person seems too wrapped up in her own world to be in a real friendship with you, and after 30 years, she has proven that nothing you do will shake her out of it. Miss Manners therefore suggests that you put your energy and time into some new activities or hobbies -- for distraction, but also to help build new friendships.

She will issue one warning, however: Do not get involved in your new friends' marital problems. Friendship 101 decrees that one simply listen and support -- and never weigh in about anyone's rotten husband. Even if it is warranted.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: There are so many women showing their bra straps. I think it's unattractive! What do you think?

GENTLE READER: That you should do your very best not to notice.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)