Who Does Princess Kate Curtsy To, According to Royal Protocol?
The pecking order is a bit unclear since Charles became King.


Royal etiquette is... uh... a lot?
There is a ton of confusing information out there about who bows to whom and who curtsies to whom among the Royal Family, and their official website doesn't help matters with its vague explanation—which also only seems to apply to members of the public anyway, and hasn't been updated since Queen Elizabeth's passing (thanks! Super helpful!).
"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."
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).
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).
However, journalist Sophia Money-Coutts tells Marie Claire, "according to yet another expert HRHs don’t curtsy to other HRHs. So that means everyone *does* have to curtsy to Camilla now because she’s a HM but others e.g. Kate and Meghan and Beatrice etc. don’t have to curtsy to one another."
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Money-Coutts clarifies, "other royal women, e.g. Zara and Louise Wessex, aren’t HRHs so presumably they do have to curtsy to them." (By this logic, Zara Tindall or Lady Louise would curtsy to Princess Kate, but since none of them has ever confirmed this, it's kind of hard to know for sure.)
Commenting on whether they all bother to follow these rules behind closed doors, one source told Money-Coutts for the Telegraph, "What they do when there are no outsiders present I can’t tell, but I suspect they do [curtsy]. They all did with the Queen."
As for whether official new rules have been written since Charles became King, one royal source said they have bigger fish to fry.
"It would be mistaken to think there has been any edict," the source told the Telegraph. "There’s a massive in-tray of stuff, and all sorts of titles and patronages to deal with. Plus, the small matter of a coronation to plan."
OK, fine, I'll make do with this information. If I have to.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
This Gap White Tee Is Flawless—and 50 Percent Off
One for every day of the week. And then a backup set.
-
Princess Beatrice Recycles One of Her Maternity Dresses For Second Red Carpet Appearance in a Week
The princess made a surprise trip to NYC.
-
More Is More: Elevate Your Jewelry Stack With This Timeless Collection
The bolder the stack, the better.
-
How King Charles Became Richer Than His Mother Queen Elizabeth II Ever Was
The King added approximately $40 million to his personal wealth in the past year alone.
-
Former Royal Staffer Reveals How Queen Elizabeth "Worked Closely" on One Aspect of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Day
The late Queen shared her expertise when it came to a touching tradition.
-
The "Disapproving" Comment Queen Elizabeth Allegedly Made at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Wedding
According to a royal expert, the late monarch had some thoughts about Meghan's wedding gown.
-
Queen Elizabeth Had the Best Comeback During "Silly" Argument With Prince Philip, Per Royal Aide
She put him in his place.
-
Why Queen Elizabeth "Couldn't" Give Fan Her Autograph While So Many People Were "Watching"
Instead, the monarch personally arranged for a special surprise to be delivered after the event.
-
A Hollywood Director Thought He Was Being Pranked When Queen Elizabeth Agreed to a "Great Joke" That Echoed Her Worst Fear
The name's Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth.
-
King Charles Reveals the Night When Queen Elizabeth "Conga-ed" Into Buckingham Palace And "Sang 'Til 2 a.m"
The King admitted that he didn't "have the energy" his mother did years ago.
-
How Queen Elizabeth Let Prince William "Rip Up" The Royal Rulebook for His Wedding to Kate Middleton
The late Queen broke protocol when her grandson was unhappy about one aspect of his big day.