The rules of etiquette surrounding the British royal family, such as bows, curtsies, and subtle gestures, have once again come under scrutiny, as two recent incidents are compared with an older but telling moment involving Princess Charlotte.
At King Charles’s Coronation Concert in Windsor in May 2023, Princess Charlotte attempted to curtsy to her grandfather as he entered the royal box. In doing so, she turned away from Queen Camilla, leaving no chance to offer the same gesture to her step-grandmother.
The moment has now resurfaced following Queen Camilla’s hand gesture to Kate Middleton at Windsor, and Melania Trump’s decision to forgo a curtsy, two more incidents that reignited debate over how rigidly royal etiquette should be observed.
