Princess Kate is known for offering graceful curtsies to King Charles and Queen Camilla, but she didn’t publicly perform the act when greeting them during the official welcome for US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s State Visit.
The Trumps arrived in Windsor on Wednesday, September 17, where Prince William and Princess Kate were the first royals to greet them, walking out to meet their helicopter.
Moments later, the two couples strolled a short distance to where King Charles and Queen Camilla were waiting to officially welcome the visitors.
Since King Charles became monarch in 2022, William and Kate have frequently taken on the role of greeting foreign guests at state visits.
Princess Kate skips public curtsy to King Charles and Queen Camilla
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They typically accompany those guests to meet the King and Queen, where Kate is often seen dipping into a curtsy as part of the tradition.
However, the arrangements for the Trumps’ visit meant the Prince and Princess of Wales were already with King Charles and Queen Camilla before the guests arrived.
Kate likely skipped a public curtsy because she had already greeted them earlier in the day.
On Tuesday, Princess Kate, 43, was seen curtsying to her father-in-law, 76, at the funeral of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent.
Princess Kate did curtsy to King Charles at the Duchess of Kent's funeral
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As King Charles prepared to leave, she said goodbye with a kiss on each cheek before offering a quick curtsy, a gesture that highlighted their close relationship.
While members of the public sometimes choose to bow or curtsy when meeting a royal, it’s also common for royals to show respect to one another, with men bowing their heads and women curtsying.
All royals, even those with His or Her Royal Highness titles like Princess Kate, are expected to bow or curtsy to the monarch and his wife when greeting them for the first time in a while, including their own children.
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The Royal Family’s official website states: "There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms."
It continues: "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."
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