 The initiation ceremony for newly appointed privy counsellors is held in private and typically requires kneeling on a stool before the sovereign and then kissing hands . According to the The Royal Encyclopaedia : " The new privy counsellor or minister will extend his or her right hand , palm upwards , and , taking the Queen 's hand lightly , will kiss it with no more than a touch of the lips . " The ceremony has caused difficulties for privy counsellors who advocate republicanism ; Tony Benn said in his diaries that he kissed his own thumb , rather than the Queen 's hand , while Jeremy Corbyn reportedly did not kneel . Not all members of the privy council go through the initiation ceremony ; appointments are frequently made by an Order in Council , although it is " rare for a party leader to use such a course . " 
