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The Daily Insight

Does Catherine curtsey to Camilla?

Author

Michael King

Updated on March 15, 2026

While Kate Middleton is destined to be Queen Consort

Queen Consort

A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, or an empress consort in the case of an emperor. A queen consort usually shares her spouse's social rank and status.

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, she also has to abide by some strange curtsying protocols. Of course, she has to curtsy to the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Camilla, but purportedly she's also obligated to bend the knee to "blood princesses", but this changes when William is present.

Who does Catherine have to curtsy to?

Though the Duchess technically has a higher ranking than Beatrice and Eugenie through her marriage to Prince William, she does not have royal blood. As a result, when Kate is with husband Prince William, Eugenie and Beatrice curtsy to her, as she takes on her husband's standing.

Who ranks higher Kate or Camilla?

Username Here Goes said: “It's inevitable now since Camilla, as the wife of Charles, will eventually be Queen Consort, will "rank" higher than Catherine.

Does Kate have to curtsy to Princess Anne?

At the time, MailOnline (via The Express) noted that Meghan and Kate were both required to curtsy to “blood princesses” (princesses born into the royal family, like Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie) due to being lower in rank.

Does Kate curtsy to the Queen in private?

They admiringly declared, “The Duchess of Cambridge curtsies as the Queen walks past. Maintaining standards even when Her Majesty can't see it. Utter Class She gets the brief.” Like other members of The Firm, royal protocol means that the Duchess of Cambridge is supposed to curtsy to senior relatives.

Here’s Who Kate Middleton Needs To Curtsy To Royal Etiquette Rules the Duchess Must Always Follow

Does William have to bow to the Queen?

When Prince William becomes king and the duchess becomes Queen consort, she will only technically have to bow to her husband—nobody else—but again, it's unlikely she will actually follow this rule. As for Meghan Markle, she is required to bow to her sister-in-law when she sees her, according to ranking order.

Why was Diana a princess but Kate is not?

On her children's birth certificates, Kate's occupation is listed as 'Princess of the United Kingdom', but her status as Princess is through marriage rather than birth.

Do royals curtsy in private?

Back in 2012, The Telegraph reported the royals "bow and curtsy to each other in public and in private" and noted that Kate Middleton was seen curtsying to Prince Philip on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Does Kate have to bow to the Queen?

In the royal line of succession, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are far more likely to become Queen than Princess Eugenie or Princess Beatrice, but because of a weird royal tradition, Kate and Meghan must still bow down to their cousins-in-law who were born into royalty.

Who has precedence Kate or Camilla?

Although Duchess Kate and Prince William might have “gathered” huge interest over the years, Prince Charles is higher in the royal line of succession than his son. As a result, he and Duchess Camilla technically take a higher royal precedence over them.

Does Kate Middleton wear Diana's ring?

Kate Middleton wears Princess Diana's engagement ring

In Amazon Prime's The Diana Story documentary, Diana's former butler Paul Burrell reported that when she had passed, the boys were given the opportunity to keep an item that belonged to her as a keepsake.

Do you have to curtsy to Prince Charles?

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. 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.

Does Kate have to bow to Camilla?

"Without William, Kate would curtsy to Camilla; with him, she would not," the source continued. "That's unless Prince Charles is present, in which case she would." The order of curtsying, however, can change. This could happen when people marry into the family.

Does Princess Eugenie curtsy to the Queen?

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle don't just curtsy to the Queen. When the royal family gathers together, the duchesses are also technically supposed to curtsy to royal princesses from birth, such as Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie.

Does Kate curtsy to Charles?

This rule does not apply if she is joined by Prince William. But Catherine must always curtsy to Duchess Camilla, Prince Charles, The Queen and Prince Philip.

Did the Queen bow to Diana's coffin?

The coffin then passed Buckingham Palace where members of the Royal Family were waiting outside. Queen Elizabeth II bowed her head as it went by. More than one million people lined the streets of London, and flowers rained down onto the cortège from bystanders.

What does Prince William call the Queen?

The cute-as-a button nickname proved so popular that according to American biographer Kitty Kelley 'gan'gan' was adopted by Prince Charles, William, and Harry to address their respective great-grandmothers. It is thought the Duchess of Cambridge refers to the Queen as 'Mama'.

Who is allowed to touch the Queen?

About 14 and a half minutes into a USA Today livestream of the event, it looked like Trump lightly touched the Queen's back as she rose from her seat, which would have been a breach of royal protocol. Royal protocol dictates that one must not touch the Queen unless she offers her hand first.

How do Royals stay so thin?

The monarch is believed to keep things simple for lunch, often enjoying a plate of fish and vegetables. Darren told House and Garden that a typical lunch would be Dover sole on a bed of wilted spinach. The royal is said to avoid starchy food such as pasta and potatoes when eating alone.

Do Royals bathe themselves?

It's believed that the royals prefer to avoid taking showers, due to their belief that they're for members of the working class. In other royal news, Kate Middleton wore a pair of £2 earrings and debuted brand new hair on her first day back at work since turning 40.

Why is a Duke higher than a prince?

A prince is typically the son or grandson of a monarch. The title duke is typically bestowed to a male member of the monarchy, often identifying him as a ruler of a territory known as a duchy. In some cases, a prince can also hold the title of duke, but prince is usually the higher-ranking position.

Who is the least favorite royal?

According to Ipsos' latest data, the least popular member of the Royal Family with the British public is Prince Andrew, who has an 11 percent favourable and 69 percent unfavourable score.

What does Prince William call Camilla?

The Queen's immediate family have called her Lilibet for years and Prince William would refer to her as 'Gary' when he was younger as he couldn't say 'grandma'.

Does a duchess outrank a princess?

While both duchesses and princesses are royalty, and princesses technically outrank duchesses, the relationship between the two titles is not always clearly defined. Princesses are usually the daughters or granddaughters of a king or queen.