At the Palace of Westminster, the royals stood for a short service, and as they exited, Meghan, Kate, and other royal women curtsied to the Queen's coffin. Viewers of the service of the royal family noted Meghan's deep curtsy, in particular.
ITV's Chris Ship tweeted out the scene along with a fairly neutral description of what happens in it. “Meghan describes meeting the late Queen Elizabeth for the first time and how she did not understand why she needed to curtsy to Harry's grandmother,” he wrote.
Meghan Markle curtseys to Prince Charles during service
When Kate Middleton entered the Royal Family in 2011, due to her position in the pecking order, she had to drop to one knee before Princess Anne and Camilla, the then Duchess of Cornwall. However, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie had to curtsy to Kate.
"Without William, Kate would curtsy to Camilla; with him, she would not," the source continued. "That's unless Prince Charles is present, in which case she would." The order of curtsying, however, can change. This could happen when people marry into the family.
consort - Wiktionary
, Camilla is no longer required to curtsey to other members of the royal family but when she travels abroad she must curtsey to monarchs around the world. As a sign of respect, the Queen Consort must always walk behind her husband King Charles.
What Kate called the Queen. While the rest of the world is required to address Queen Elizabeth as Ma'am or your majesty, those closest to her are allowed to refer to her as Mama, according to Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine. Sign up to British Heritage Travel's daily newsletter here!
There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.
According to protocol, Meghan is supposed to curtsy to those who outrank her. This includes the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla. Because William is due to be the future King of England, he also receives a curtsy, and by extension so does Kate Middleton.
Now that Kate is the Princess of Wales — and Camilla is queen consort — the greeting rules have changed among the royal women. All must curtsy to Camilla. And, since Kate is Princess of Wales, Meghan must curtsy to both Kate and Camilla, per Page Six.
Does Prince William have to bow to King Charles? There's a new protocol for King Charles's sons and daughters-in-law, Hello! explains. Whenever they first acknowledge the king, Prince William and Prince Harry will be bow, while Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle will be required to curtsy.
Women who have famously refused to curtsy to the Royal Family include Cherie Blair, when husband Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
"There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms," the website reads. "For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way."
Etiquette expert Myka Meier revealed that Kate holds her bags in her left hand so she can keep her right hand free to greet and shake hands with guests at the many public functions she attends as a royal. And Kate isn't the only royal to do this.
The only person they will curtsy or bow to is the sovereign. A royal highness does not curtsy to another royal highness,” she told Hello! Magazine in a 2018 interview.
2. Will Kate Middleton be Called 'Queen'? Not really. If everything goes as planned, the Princess of Wales will likely receive the title of queen consort.
Curtseys were a must chez Queen Mum. Rhodes may have been her boss's niece, but she still curtseyed to her every morning and night.
The Duchess of Sussex inherited some of her late mother-in-law's most stunning pieces. Before her tragic death, Princess Diana made it clear that she wanted her stunning collection of jewelry to go to her sons' future wives.
Do you have to bow to Prince William? There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy.
One thing Prince Harry and Prince William have in common these days? They have to bow to their stepmother, Queen Consort Camilla. And they're not alone. Sources tell Page Six that everyone in the royal family will be expected to bow to Camilla.
Back in 2012, The Telegraph reported the royals “bow and curtsy to each other in public and in private” and noted that Kate Middleton was seen curtsying to Prince Philip on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The whole bowing thing was also discussed at length in 2018 when Meghan Markle married Prince Harry.
Becoming king in his 70s could be a difficult job to take on, but could Prince Charles refuse to take the throne? The concise answer to the above question is no. The Line of Succession is determined by Statue Law, and if the Queen steps down or dies, Charles would become king automatically.
Lady Pamela explained, “In England, the upper class always have had separate bedrooms. You don't want to be bothered with snoring or someone flinging a leg around. Then when you are feeling cozy you share your room sometimes. It is lovely to be able to choose.”
The Best Royal Tour Moments
Princess Anne curtseys to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth. As pallbearers carried Queen Elizabeth's coffin into the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Princess Anne dropped into a deep curtsy—a sign of respect for her late mother. (Watch the moment in the video, above.)
Experts said while it would have been normal to bow when meeting Queen Elizabeth II, younger royals like William and Kate don't expect that level of deference — especially since the couple will be visiting the United States, where “we do not curtsy or bow,” Meier said.
Prince William and the palace regularly reference her as "Catherine" in statements and formal communications, though the public and press colloquially call her Kate, as do some of her own friends.