THE CURTSY score so far: Quentin Bryce - 2. Julia Gillard - 0.

As the Prime Minister today defended her decision not to curtsy for the Queen, Quentin Bryce bent her knees one more time for Her Majesty ahead of the royal visit to Floriade in Canberra.

The Queen officially received Ms Bryce at Government House wearing a lavender floral print dress designed by London couturier Stewart Parvin. Ms Bryce was brimming with confidence as she walked to the Queen, shook her hand and did a polite curtsy.

It was her second go at greeting the Queen for the cameras. She genuflected for Her Majesty and Prince Philip as they stepped off the plane last night.

If that wasn't enough to show up the leader of the country, then the reception the Queen received at the flower show definitely did.

A young girl in a pretty pink dress gave the Queen a sweet smile before dropping to a perfect curtsy. Her grace and poise was such, it's a good bet she'll be on the front page of every newspaper tomorrow morning.

Ms Gillard had made a Mr Bean-style mess of her own greeting. Although she did not end up headbutting the Queen - as would be expected of British actor Rowan Atkinson's bumbling comic character - her half-handshake, half-bow had the same effect on royalists and etiquette experts.

Feeling the heat this morning, Ms Gillard said she received advice from protocol staff that the curtsy was optional.

However, Matthew Archer, deputy chair of the Victorian branch of the Australian Monarchists League, said Ms Gillard's choice was rude and impolite: "I understand she thinks we should ditch the monarchy but it's just a sign of courtesy, it actually would be a sign of respect."

Mr Archer said Ms Bryce was not a political person and would have curtsied out of respect.

"Quentin Bryce is just a very kind and thoughtful person, she's got very good manners ... Julia's being a bit more political," he said.

Within minutes of the footage of Ms Gillard's greeting going to air, Twitter users were questioning why she did not curtsy.

Today host Lisa Wilkinson tweeted "Small thing: saw GG curtsy the Queen, but not the PM. Anyone know background to that? Statement? Forgot? Bad knee from old skiing injury?"

"The Prime Minister greeted the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh with appropriate courtesy," a spokesman said.

Mr Archer didn't think the Queen would be offended. "No, not really I think she's a pretty tough lady," he said.

The Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, Katy Gallagher, also chose not to curtsy, not only once but twice.

She decided to simply shake the Queen's hand when she met her at the wharf at Commonwealth Park in Canberra.

The Queen arrived at the Floriade flower show in a special navy barge transported from Sydney for the occasion.

Crowds lined the foreshores on both sides of Lake Burley Griffin, and cheered the Queen as she disembarked. Those put out by Ms Gallagher's slip managed to contain themselves.

Normally, British women do a small curtsy and men bow their heads when meeting the Queen.

Prime Minister Paul Keating caused a stir when put his arm around the Queen during her visit to Australia in 1992, a breach of royal protocol that led to London's tabloid papers dubbing him the Lizard of Oz.

Pictures: Alex Coppel