Princess Kate Skips Curtsy to Charles and Camilla During Trump’s State Welcome — or Did She?
Kate Middleton is known for her perfect curtsies, dipping gracefully despite her high heels. The Princess of Wales, hence, surprised many when she did not greet King Charles and Queen Camilla with one during Donald Trump's state welcome on September 17. Her action marked a sharp departure from previous outings, when she always bowed in respect to the King and Queen.
After the Trumps landed at Windsor Gardens, the Prince and Princess of Wales warmly welcomed them with a handshake and escorted them a short distance to meet Charles and Camilla. It is during this time that Middleton usually dips into a curtsy as a sign of respect. PEOPLE reports that the arrangements for the Trumps' visit to Windsor Castle meant that William and Middleton were already with the King and Queen before their guests' arrival. Hence, she likely didn't curtsy publicly because she had already greeted them that day. Since Charles's ascension to the throne, William and Middleton have been tasked with the important role of welcoming foreign guests.
As per royal etiquette, all senior royals, including those with HRH titles, must bow to Charles and Camilla when greeting them after a long time. Interestingly, Middleton outranks blood members of the royal family only when she is with William. They state, "Protocol dictates that when the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex are not accompanied by their husbands, Princesses of the Royal Blood, such as Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, rank above them. However, when the Duchesses are accompanied by their husbands, the roles are reversed and the Duchesses outrank the Princesses." A day before the state visit, Middleton dipped into the perfect curtsy and greeted Charles with a kiss on the cheek during the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.
While Middleton had a good reason to forgo a curtsy, she wasn’t alone, as Melania also chose not to bow to the King and Queen. Instead, both Donald and Melania opted for a formal handshake, a gesture that the Palace website confirms does not breach royal protocol. The royal family’s official website states, "There are no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting 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."
Middleton and Melania are scheduled to participate in a joint engagement on September 18 at Frogmore Gardens. The ladies will meet Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels programme, who work toward the ‘Go Wild’ badge through nature-based activities. They will participate in things like leaf stamping and building bug hotels with the young Scouts.