Every Royal Kate Middleton Has To Curtsy To

The British royal family is known for its style, customs, and traditions. One such tradition is the curtsy. The curtsy is performed by women, wherein they bend their knees and bow. After marrying Prince William, Princess Catherine started curtsying to the senior royals. Over time, Catherine perfected her curtsy to the extent that it is held up as an example of what a good curtsy should look like.

The rules surrounding curtsying are not that strict. The royal family's official website says that "there are no obligatory codes of behavior — just courtesy." Many people still choose to stick to the traditional way of greeting, though. Interestingly, there seems to be a clear order behind curtsying. It might confuse onlookers when they see some royal women curtsy to the others. But most royal women do not curtsy to each other. While talking about greeting rules within the royal family, etiquette expert Myka Meier told People, "The general rule of thumb to remember is that a Royal Highness does not curtsy to another Royal Highness."

Catherine's curtsy has become quite popular. Experts often talk about how elegant it looks. Meier told People that a correct royal curtsy should be subtle and that a deeper, slightly longer pause shows greater respect. While talking about the same with Express, body language expert Judi James praised Catherine's curtsy at her Christmas carol concert. She said that it was up to Catherine "to show how it's really done, with two small but significant bobs" as she welcomed senior family members to the event.  So without further ado, these are the royals Catherine has to curtsy to.

It might come as no surprise that Princess Catherine needs to curtsy to King Charles III. Royal etiquette expert Laura Windsor has confirmed this. She told Reader's Digest, "Everyone has to curtsy or bow before King Charles." This explains why, when Catherine sees Charles at a major event for the first time that day, she usually curtsies to him.

Viewers saw this on Charles' coronation day, when Catherine was seen curtsying to him as he walked by. After this, we have seen her do the same quite often. For example, we found her paying respects to the king during the 2024 Qatari state visit, when she walked toward Charles and gave him a curtsy so well done that it was even praised by royal watchers. After Katharine, Duchess of Kent's funeral, Princess Catherine was seen on the cathedral steps. When she noticed the king, she stepped toward him and gave him a curtsy.

Those interested in the royal family might be curious about the truth behind Charles and Princess Catherine's relationship. As reported by People, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith has said that Charles "has always had a very good bond" with Catherine, and she even said Catherine was "like the daughter he never had." Another expert, Judi James, has also noted (via Daily Mail) that Charles has "made Kate his center of attention to signal ... how much she is cherished." Together, their comments help explain why Catherine's curtsies to the king often look formal yet loving at the same time.

After King Charles, Princess Catherine's second important curtsy is to Queen Camilla. Camilla became queen consort after Charles succeeded Queen Elizabeth II. In her Platinum Jubilee Accession Day message, Queen Elizabeth II dropped hints about this change. She said that "when ... my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me." She added, "It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service." After getting crowned alongside King Charles III in 2023, Camilla's title changed to Her Majesty the Queen.

While speaking to People, expert Myka Meier explained that a Royal Highness doesn't have to curtsy to another Royal Highness. However, royals with HRH styles "will ... have to curtsy to His Majesty King Charles and Her Majesty the Queen Consort." Catherine has an HRH title. This explains why she needs to curtsy to royals who rank higher than her, including Camilla. At the 2022 Christmas carol service, Catherine was seen kissing her on both cheeks and respectfully curtsying to her.

We often see royal family members curtsying to their royal relatives. However, it is interesting to find out that they also curtsy to foreign royals. Princess Anne, for example, was seen curtsying to Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. She did that even though she was older than them. This suggests that titles are more important than age when it comes to curtsying. Princess Catherine also curtsies to foreign royals. She curtsied to Belgium's Queen Mathilde, and she was also seen curtsying to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

After Queen Elizabeth II died, Catherine became the Princess of Wales. She continued to curtsy to foreign kings and queens after that as well. In June 2023, Prince William and Catherine attended the wedding of Jordan's crown prince. They were filmed speaking to King Abdullah II and Queen Rania (pictured). In the middle of that, Catherine finds the right time and curtsies to them. Her curtsy to these foreign royals was praised and is also listed under her most iconic curtsies.

Princess Anne, who lives a lavish life, holds a special place in any discussion of curtsies inside the royal family. She is the princess royal and one of the most senior working royals. After Princess Catherine got married to Prince William, Queen Elizabeth II is said to have changed the order of precedence. According to those changes, Catherine is required to curtsy to certain blood princesses, including Anne. That said, she doesn't have to curtsy to blood princesses if she's accompanied by William. As explained by royal expert Wendy Bosberry-Scott (via People), "When the wives are with their husbands, their status is elevated to reflect the fact that the men are present." She added, "As the men have a higher rank than the princesses ... they have precedence, and this higher rank is reflected on their wives, so they are then moved ahead."

Even so, the protocol isn't that straightforward. Royal Insider claims it is mandatory for Catherine to curtsy to Anne even if William is with her. Royal expert Joe Little seems to contradict this. He tweeted on X (via Royal Insider), saying, "Royal Highnesses bow and curtsey only to Majesties. Why is that so hard to understand? Nothing to do with the order of precedence."

Princess Beatrice was born into the royal family. This makes her a princess of the blood. Given that she's born royal, she's above the royal women who married into the family. She's also ninth in the line of succession. This means that in certain situations, senior women who joined the family by marriage are likely expected to curtsy to Beatrice. On the surface, it appears that Princess Catherine is above Beatrice, as Catherine is married to the future king. But this might not be true.

According to reports on the palace's order, Catherine needs to curtsy to Beatrice in specific cases. This stems from the order of precedence updated in 2012, which requires Catherine to curtsy to the royal-born Beatrice if she is not accompanied by her husband, Prince William. Wendy Bosberry-Scott of Debrett's told People, "Women of the royal family who marry in like Kate and Meghan [Markle] gain their titles by marriage and therefore are of a lower rank than those born into their titles." On the other hand, if William is with Catherine, the dynamic changes. William outranks his cousins in the line of succession, so when he's present, it is reported that Beatrice would need to curtsy to Catherine instead.

That said, some experts say that these curtsy rules are not an obligation. This seems to give a little wiggle room. Former royal butler Grant Harrold told Fox News, "The monarchy's website states it [curtsy] isn't required — it's entirely a personal choice. The king even had a discussion with me about it. He said, 'When you bow or curtsy, you're doing it to the title. You're not doing it to the person.'"

Like Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie is a princess of the blood. This means that Eugenie is also high in the palace ranking. On the other hand, Princess Catherine is reportedly the second-most senior royal woman by rank after Queen Camilla. This is in light of her marriage to Prince William. That said, she married into the family and was not born a royal. This holds despite her being the future queen consort. The difference between royal by marriage and royal by blood is important to consider when curtsying is involved. A Debrett's spokesperson told People, "Essentially, the hierarchy exists to ensure that the princesses who are born with royal blood, like Eugenie ... aren't kind of pushed to one side."

Just like Beatrice and other royal-born princesses, whether Catherine curtsies to Eugenie reportedly depends on whether William is with her. If Catherine is not with William, she is expected to curtsy to Eugenie. However, if Catherine is accompanied by William, it is the other way around. That said, some experts have argued that those who hold the HRH title generally do not bow or curtsy to each other. For instance, royal historian Marlene Eilers Koenig told Hello! Magazine, "The only person they [royals who hold an HRH title] will curtsy or bow to is the sovereign." Koenig also explained, "Curtsying and bowing is etiquette, nothing to do with precedence."

Princess Alexandra is a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II and is a senior royal. She also holds an HRH title like Princess Catherine. The detail that sets them apart is that Alexandra is a blood princess. This is why she is likely one of the royals that Catherine may be expected to curtsy to.

There is no rule on the royal website that says Catherine must curtsy to Alexandra. In fact, the official page on greetings states there are "no obligatory codes of behavior" when meeting a member of the royal family. However, reports on the private order of precedence suggest that when William is not with her, Catherine is ranked below the blood princesses. This means that she is expected to curtsy to blood princesses, which includes Alexandra, only when she's not with William.

Royal historians point out that practice may not match those old rules. For instance, royal expert Marlene Eilers Koenig has challenged the previous argument. She said (via Cosmopolitan), "A royal highness does not curtsy to another royal highness. Yes, there are articles that state this, but it is not true."

Princess Michael of Kent got married to Prince Michael, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Even though she is not a working royal, she still appears at state occasions. As discussed previously, curtsies in the royal family depend on rank and who else is present. Princess Michael holds an HRH title through her husband. So, she is in the same royals-by-marriage category as Princess Catherine.

Catherine and Princess Michael have been spotted together on several occasions. In 2015, for example, the two attended the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. They shared an adorable moment there. Catherine was photographed greeting her by bending and kissing her on the cheek. They were also present for the Trooping the Colour event later in 2018. Catherine was even seen interacting with the Kent family after the Duchess of Kent's funeral. As reported by Hello! Magazine, Catherine comforted them on the cathedral steps, signaling the cordial relationship the princess shares with the Kents.

Reporting on the order of precedence mostly focuses on blood princesses. However, author Roy McKeen said (via Independent Australia) that Catherine "will need to drop a bob to ... some of the cousins — including ... Princess Michael of Kent." Still, there is no clear public rule that Catherine must curtsy to Princess Michael of Kent. In a formal setting, she might choose to curtsy to her relative. But that would be out of courtesy rather than strict protocol.

The royal family has strict rules that involve Princess Catherine and Prince William's children. For example, Catherine reportedly needs to curtsy to her own children. This might seem strange, but there's a reason to suspect this. Catherine married into the royal family and is not royal by birth. As discussed previously, blood royals outrank royals by marriage. Queen Elizabeth II's updated royal order of precedence clarifies that as well. Given that she was a commoner before her marriage, Catherine must curtsy to blood royals whenever Prince William is not with her.

Royal rules do make things a bit formal, even when children are involved. That said, Catherine still appears to share a close and loving bond with her kids. There are pictures of her doing regular parent things with them, like attending children's parties. In a letter (via Us Weekly), she explained, "Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life. ... It is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish." While speaking at Basildon Sporting Centre, she also revealed a sweet lesson she taught her kids: the importance of hugs. This makes her quite relatable to mothers. Her kids have even thrown tantrums. For example, in an adorable moment, Prince Louis made funny faces and teased his mother during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee.

Catherine isn't actually seen curtsying to her children, though. All of Catherine's children hold the title His or Her Royal Highness, like Catherine. Experts note that royals with the same HRH title generally don't curtsy to each other. When William becomes the king, and Catherine is queen consort, her children won't outrank her. This means that she will not have to curtsy to her children by that point.

All members of the British royal family are reportedly expected to bow or curtsy to the king. For example, Princess Catherine is seen curtsying to King Charles III often. Once Prince William becomes king, Catherine will be the queen consort. William will be the only royal above her in rank at that point.

Catherine will not be expected to curtsy to William regularly. This is because queen consorts enjoy many of the same benefits as the king. In the past, Queen Consort Mary was never seen curtsying to King George V. This was also noticed in the case of Queen Consort Elizabeth. Interestingly, other royal family members will likely be expected to bow or curtsy to the queen consort. 

Catherine and William had a fairytale wedding, and they stuck together through thick and thin. There have been times when the couple has been refreshingly honest about their relationship. Still, when the time comes, she might have to curtsy during William's coronation ceremony. This is in line with tradition, as the consort is expected to show respect during the ceremony. This was seen in Prince Philip's case as well. He reportedly knelt during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Similarly, Catherine will likely curtsy at William's coronation.