Royal Family rules can be confusing for both members of the public and sometimes even royals themselves. From bowing to curtsying, selfies to interactions with the public, there are a number of official and unofficial royal protocols that those in the British monarchy should follow.
Among these rules is curtsying, with it being common knowledge that ladies in the Royal Family should curtsy to both the King and Queen. This can often be seen at royal events, when Princess Kate – along with other royals – is often seen curtsying when greeting both King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77. The only royal woman now exempt from the curtsying role is Queen Camilla, as since Charles took to the throne, she is now the most senior female in the Royal Family.
This means that she does not need to curtsy to anyone, unlike the rules that were in force before in a document the late Queen Elizabeth II produced back in 2005.
As reported by EdinburghLive, the document set out that royal women should curtsy based on their seniority, which meant Camilla – when she was Duchess of Cornwall – reportedly had to bow to royal women who were born into the family.
This included the likes of Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie.
However, since becoming Queen, Camilla no longer needs to curtsy to other royals, even those born into the monarchy. Instead, it is royal protocol for all royal women to now curtsy to her.
While these formal greetings are often witnessed by the public at royal events, it is not known whether the royals bow or curtsy to Their Majesties behind closed doors.
It is believed that this formality was carried out in public during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, as Meghan Markle once recalled having to curtsy to the late Queen when first meeting her – an event that happened in private.
In the 2022 docuseries Harry and Meghan on Netflix, Meghan, 43, said: “I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before. We were in the car and we were going to Royal Lodge (in Windsor) for lunch, and he’s (Harry) like, ‘Oh, my grandmother’s here, we’re going to meet her after church’. And I remember we were in the car driving up and he’s like, ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke.”
Harry then said: “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you will need to curtsy. Especially to an American. That’s weird.”