Does Prince Charles bow to the Queen in private?
Ava Arnold
Updated on March 10, 2026
The only person they will be curtsy or bow to is the sovereign. "A royal highness does not curtsy to another royal highness. Yes, there are articles that state this, but it is not true." So by that logic, the royal children won't be bowing to anybody else other than the Queen because it's just not necessary.
Do the royals bow to the Queen 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 Prince George bow to the Queen?
Of Prince Charles' grandchildren in particular, only Prince George and Princess Charlotte are old enough to bow/curtsy to the Queen, while Prince Louis, Archie, and Lilibet won't be expected to do so because they're younger.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.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.Prince Charles tells Commonwealth: dropping Queen is 'for each to decide'
Will Camilla have to curtsey to Kate?
While Kate Middleton is destined to be Queen Consort, 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 doesn't bow to the Queen?
Princess Charlotte doesn't have to bow to the Queen but Prince George does - here's why.Why did the Queen bow to Princess Diana?
"But that day, it is Elizabeth who bowed her head as a sign of respect for the passage of Diana's coffin, the woman who more than anyone else had defied the conventions of the Palace". The documentarist suggested that bow was prehaps "one of the strongest images in his entire reign".Do princes bow to the king?
Because of his ranking, Prince William, Prince Harry, and all other members of royalty (aside from the queen and Prince Philip) are expected to show their respect via curtsy or bow.Does Prince Philip bow to Charles?
And every prince, with the exception of Philip, bows to Charles since he is the heir apparent.Do royals curtsy in private?
The royal family has to curtsy in privateYou might think that the royals only do the curtsying and bowing in public but in her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex revealed that everyone curtsies to the queen, even in private.