Not only is the line of succession different, but royal titles are also being switched up. And now, even the etiquette rules are being adapted. One of the major changes applies to Camilla Parker Bowles, who, as a newly-deemed
Because George and Charlotte are children, they are not required by custom to bow or curtsy to the King and Queen Consort. Kate's second annual Christmas concert was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, and touches in her honor were woven throughout the service.
While Kate Middleton is destined to be Queen Consort, she also has to abide by some strange curtsying protocols. Of course, she has to curtsy to the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Camilla, but purportedly she's also obligated to bend the knee to "blood princesses", but this changes when William is present.
Since Charles has taken to the throne, the tradition has changed so that now, in the Royal order, Camilla has outranked Princess Anne - meaning all the royal women in the family must (and will) curtsy to her.
Sons, Wives Must Bow/Curtsy to King
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.
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.
The duke recalls meeting Camilla, whom he and his brother called “the other woman,” for the first time, and notes that it was far from a pleasant experience for him. He described their introduction as an “injection,” for which he had to brace himself.
Who does Princess Catherine have to curtsy to? Some reports insist that, upon marrying into the family, Kate Middleton had to curtsy to all "blood" princesses, such as Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as her own children (except when accompanied by Prince William—duh).
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!
Who bows to who in the royal family? Ostensibly, when it comes to the monarch, it's all very straightforward: All members of the Royal Family had to bow or curtsy to Queen Elizabeth, and presumably the same is now true of King Charles and Queen Camilla (that is, everyone with a "His or Her Majesty" designation).
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.
If you watch the footage, Princess Margaret was not the only person who didn't bow her head as the coffin passed. There was nothing significant in that. That the one person in the UK who does not need to bow to anyone DID, WAS significant.
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.
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.
To prevent her feet from slipping out of her heels, Meier said Middleton wears non-slip tights from John Lewis, a high-end department store in the United Kingdom. The sheer stockings retail for £6, or around US$6.50, and feature gel strips on the bottom of each foot that grip to the soles of shoes.
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.
In Britain, ladies-in-waiting are titled noblewomen who serve not only the queen, but also high-ranking women in the royal household. Kate Middleton has one, while the queen's sister Princess Margaret had many.
And as to putting one's clothes on, contrary to popular belief the Queen actually dressed alone. The monarch also did her own make-up for most events, with the exception of her annual Christmas speech, for which a make-up artist was employed.
The Princess of Wales is now the new honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards, a title that formally belonged to her husband, Prince William.
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.
Women who have famously refused to curtsy to the Royal Family include Cherie Blair, when husband Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
There's plenty of rules and traditions that the Royal Family must follow but every now and again the formalities are allowed to slip. One such rule, which would see Kate Middleton curtsy to her cousin-in-laws Eugenie and Beatrice on certain occasions, seems to have been forgotten altogether.
Sweet. Despite the fact Queen Elizabeth II was officially called 'Ma'am' or 'Your Majesty' to the majority of people, Prince William and Prince Harry were let off the hook when it came to the Queen, and were always encouraged to call her 'Granny'.
In an interview with Good Morning America on Monday, Harry seemed to soften his stance on Camilla, saying that he has a “huge amount of compassion for her.” He added that they haven't spoken in a while, but he loves every member of his family, so they remain cordial.
WATCH as Princess Charlotte appears to mimic mom's curtsy to the queen as the family left a church service on Christmas. This is the first time the little princess and her brother Prince George have attended the annual Christmas church service with the rest of the royal family.