Why Kate Didn't Curtsy to the King at Commonwealth Day Service

Catherine, Princess of Wales holds onto her hat in the wind as she attends the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 13, 2023 in London, England. The Commonwealth represents a global network of 56 countries, having been joined by Gabon and Togo in 2022, with a combined population of 2.5 billion people, of which over 60 percent are under 30 years old.

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty)

published 14 March 2023

Some eagle-eyed royal fans noticed that Princess Kate didn't curtsy to King Charles at the Commonwealth Day Service in London on March 13.

But before we all start going into a tailspin about what this could possibly mean, it's just a question of simple protocol, OK?

While every member of the Royal Family is expected to curtsy to the King and Queen consort, they only have to do so once a day, the first time they encounter them.

According to OK!, all Kate's lack of gesture towards her father-in-law means is that she presumably hung out with him earlier that day—which won't have been hard to do considering the service started a little before 3 p.m.

There's been a bit of a resurgence of interest in the Princess of Wales curtsying and/or being curtsied to lately, thanks to avid royal fans on TikTok who stitched together footage of these two things happening over the years and promptly went viral.

This tidbit aside, as a reminder, Commonwealth Day is the official day designated for celebrating the Commonwealth of Nations and all its member countries. It typically occurs on the second Monday in March, when a service is held at Westminster Abbey, with senior royals in attendance.

For the occasion, the Princess of Wales wore an elegant ensemble by Erdem, consisting of a peplum jacket and matching skirt, both in navy with a white print. She paired the look with navy pointed pumps, an embellished navy hat, and a Prince of Wales feathers brooch which the King gave her, according to People.

Catherine, Princess of Wales with a bouquet of flowers, speaks to members of the choir as she departs the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 13, 2023 in London, England.

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 InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. 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.