Kate Middleton Kissing the Queen on the Cheek Reveals a LOT About Her Status in the Royal Family

• This week, the Queen stopped by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to view Kate Middleton's (opens in new tab) "Back to Nature" garden.
• Kate greeted the Queen with a quick kiss on the cheek, followed by a curtsy.
• The informal greeting says a lot (opens in new tab) about Kate's status within the royal family.

In case there were any lingering doubt, Kate Middleton (opens in new tab) commands major respect in the royal family.

The latest proof of this comes in the form of new pictures from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (opens in new tab). Earlier this week, the Queen turned out for the Flower Show's press day to take a tour of the "Back to Nature" garden (opens in new tab), which Kate helped design. Kate and her husband, Prince William (opens in new tab), personally showed the Queen around the garden.

When Elizabeth arrived at the garden, she and Kate shared a moment (opens in new tab) that proves just how high-status the Duchess of Cambridge is within The Firm. Upon greeting the Queen, Kate leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek and then curtsied (see pictures of the cheek kiss and curtsy here (opens in new tab)).

It's not just the fact that Kate gave Elizabeth a familial peck on the cheek that shows how much the Queen respects her granddaughter-in-law. It's also the order in which Kate's greeting actions took place. Kate gave Elizabeth the cheek kiss (opens in new tab) first and then curtsied.

As royal reporters have noted (opens in new tab), the double cheek kiss might be how the royal family greets each other at private functions, but doing it for the cameras is a big enough deal on its own. To do it before giving the Queen the customary curtsy? That shows that Kate is considered as much in the inner circle as any of the Queen's blood relatives.