This deliberate gesture was believed to be a response to
The Princess of Wales Apparently Refused to Curtsy to Queen Camilla at the Coronation. “That obvious insult raised eyebrows big-time.”
Now that Camilla is Queen Consort and known as Her Majesty, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are all expected to bow or curtsy to her - and... Royal Family but still needs to abide by strict protocol when it... Parker Bowles — will have to bow to her now that she is Queen...
One to the king or queen when first greeting them and then again when retiring for the day. In the case of the coronation, Kate's curtsy was made as a gesture of recognition of the crowning service and the oaths sworn by Charles and Camilla.
One of the major changes applies to Camilla Parker Bowles, who, as a newly-deemed Queen consort, no longer has to curtsey to other members of the royal family.
A body language expert believes the Prince of Wales may have found it unnatural to perform such a gesture to his stepmother. Instead, Judi James said his gut instinct could have seen him subconsciously side with his late mum, Princess Diana.
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.
Prince William defied royal protocol at the King's Coronation when he chose not to bow to Queen Camilla at the Coronation Concert. A body language expert claims that the Prince of Wales might have found it strange to perform such a gesture to his stepmother.
The former Duchess of Cambridge was expected to curtsy to Anne, Beatrice, and Eugenie, but not if she was with Prince William. But, even when Kate was with William, she still had to curtsy to Anne. The Princess Royal's rank did not change.
The Princess of Wales paid respect to King Charles' wife
During the coronation concert at Windsor Castle, Princess Kate curtseyed as Queen Camilla passed her on her way to her seat, with the act an age-old sign of deep respect when greeting a monarch.
The tennis players on Centre Court did not bow or curtsy to her even though it was a tradition in the past. What many people may not realize is that the rule changed in 2003 by the Duke of Kent, who was the president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at the time.
William Technically Has to Bow to Queen Camilla
Sources tell Page Six that everyone in the royal family is expected to bow to Camilla now that she's Queen (well, Queen Consort, technically).
So Catherine must curtsey to Queen Camilla, and if William is not present she must also curtsey to her cousins-in-law Beatrice and Eugenie, and her aunt-in-law, the Princess Royal. The Princess of Wales was snapped curtseying on camera to the Queen and King during the coronation concert.
However, the royal family wasn't interested in having Camilla as its princess. For one thing, she was perceived as an “experienced” woman, which was a nonstarter for the royal family back then in terms of a suitable spouse for Prince Charles.
As NBC royal commentator Daisy McAndrew puts it, a “queen consort is a woman who married a man who is king,” and a “queen is a woman who is born to be queen and is head of state — not the wife of a monarch.”
"They were dating when they were single and because they were intimate, she was no longer eligible to be Queen." And that was that. Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. Charles met Diana Spencer in 1980 and married her in 1981.
But the fact of the matter is Sophie has never had to curtsy to Meghan, nor had Edward ever bowed to Harry. Members of the royal family do not bow or curtsy to each other – it is an act reserved only for the King and Queen. Back in December, the Princess of Wales was seen curtseying for the first time to Queen Camilla.
What Kate called the Queen. While the rest of the world was 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.
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.
So, what's the deal? According to the royal rule book, female members of The Firm must curtsy to the most senior members of the monarchy – currently King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla – whilst their male counterparts must bow their heads.
Charles and Camilla's friendship turned romantic over the course of 18 months. Royal expert Marlene Koening, who wrote about Charles and Camilla's relationship for BBC's History Extra, told Insider that the pair were instantly attracted to each other.
'" On the day of Charles and Camilla's 2005 wedding, the prince explained that he "mostly kept my head bowed, eyes on the floor," but felt mixed feelings about the marriage. Though William has not made similar revelations to Harry's, his wife, Kate Middleton, appears to have warmer relations with the new queen.
Although Camilla outranks Kate as a "Majesty" compared to her "HRH" status, the princess' firstborn son, Prince George, will one day inherit the throne, which is not something the current Queen can claim.
"The general rule of thumb to remember is that a Royal Highness does not curtsy to another Royal Highness," etiquette expert Myka Meier previously told People.
Prince William Has to Bow to King Charles
Protocol dictates that literally everyone bows to King Charles upon greeting him, which we've maybe seen in action in the photo below. Honestly, though, this could be Prince William and Kate Middleton climbing stairs… while also bowing?