This is another one that you should know by default. When the reigning monarch walks past, gentlemen must bow and ladies must curtsy. That doesn't just apply to us common folk either; even other members of the Royal Family observe this protocol, as seen in this picture, where William & Kate are showing deference.
This tradition isn't as demanding as it used to be. You're fine to bend one knee and bow from the head these days, but during the time of the Tudors, anyone in the presence of the reigning King or Queen was expected to bow to the waist and stay there until acknowledged and told to desist. They must have had incredibly powerful calf muscles. It was even worse if you were leaving the room, in which case the correct procedure was to bow three times while walking backward. We wonder how many people banged into the door?
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.