Who Curtsied to the Sovereign at British Coronations? What It Means for Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla

When King Charles III walked through Westminster Abbey after his coronation on May 6, 2023, Catherine, Princess of Wales, lowered into a quick curtsy as he passed. Cameras caught the gesture clearly. Yet the moment soon raised a second question: did Catherine also curtsy to Queen Camilla?

The answer depends on rank, timing, and the difference between a curtsy and homage. A coronation places the royal order on public display.

A Coronation Does Not Begin a Reign

Charles became King on September 8, 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II died. The coronation followed almost eight months later.

A British monarch does not wait for a coronation to gain authority. Accession happens immediately. The later ceremony confirms the sovereign’s position through recognition, oaths, anointing, crowning, enthronement, and homage.

Westminster Abbey has hosted English and British coronations since 1066. Charles became the 40th reigning monarch crowned there. Queen Elizabeth II, crowned on June 2, 1953, was the 39th.

The published order of service makes the hierarchy clear. Charles received the central rites of sovereignty. Camilla received a separate and shorter set of rites as Queen.

What Catherine’s Curtsy Meant

Catherine’s visible curtsy acknowledged Charles as sovereign. It did not serve as a personal gesture to her father-in-law.

Royal rank controls the formal meaning. Before September 8, 2022, Catherine curtsied to Queen Elizabeth II as the monarch. After Charles became King, the same traditional practice applied to him.

The traditional greeting guidance says no obligatory code governs meetings with the King, Queen, or other royal family members. People who choose the traditional form use a neck bow for men and a small curtsy for women.

Catherine’s curtsy still carried a clear message inside the coronation setting. She recognized the person who held the Crown.

Rehearsal footage added context. In the BBC documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year, Catherine greeted Charles with a hug and kiss before curtsying. Princess Charlotte followed with her own greeting and curtsy. The family greeting came first. The formal acknowledgment followed.

Curtsy and Homage Are Different Acts

Prince William had a larger ceremonial role because he was the heir to the throne.

During the service, William knelt before Charles and pledged loyalty as the King’s “liege man of life and limb.” The published order described this as the Homage of Royal Blood.

That act had greater ceremonial significance than Catherine’s curtsy. Homage is a promise of allegiance and faithfulness to the sovereign. A curtsy is a brief traditional acknowledgment.

The difference explains why William knelt and spoke while Catherine remained in her place. She did not have a listed oath. She did not join the formal homage. Her visible role reflected her rank as Princess of Wales, while William acted as heir.

The 2023 ceremony sharply reduced the number of people who performed individual homage. Earlier coronations included several royal dukes and hereditary peers. In 2023, William alone represented the Royal Family in that part of the service.

Did Catherine Have to Curtsy to Queen Camilla?

Camilla was crowned Queen, but she was not the sovereign. Charles held the constitutional and ceremonial position of monarch.

Camilla received her own anointing, ring, crown, scepter, rod, and enthronement. She sat beside the King after her crowning. Her position carried high rank and public dignity, but it came through marriage to the sovereign.

Royal women may traditionally curtsy when greeting Queen Camilla. The greeting guidance addresses meetings with the King and Queen together.

However, the published coronation order did not direct Catherine to approach Camilla and perform a personal curtsy. No such step appeared in Catherine’s assigned role.

That weakens claims that Catherine refused a required gesture. Some reports traced the allegation to royal biographer Tom Bower, who suggested tension over the guest list. No official statement from Catherine, Camilla, or the Palace confirmed that account.

A camera shot also has limits. Charles and Camilla walked close together. Seating positions, timing, robes, and camera angles affected what viewers could see. The absence of a separate visible curtsy to Camilla does not prove refusal.

Who Curtsied at Earlier Coronations?

The historical record gives fewer precise answers.

Official coronation documents concentrate on the central rites. They record the oath, crowning, enthronement, and homage in detail. They rarely list every bow or curtsy made by each guest.

At Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, Prince Philip performed formal homage by kneeling and pledging loyalty. The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Kent attended. Prince Charles, then four, became the first child to watch a parent’s coronation as sovereign.

The event included 8,251 guests and representatives of 129 nations and territories. About 27 million people watched in the United Kingdom on television, while 11 million listened by radio, according to the recorded figures for the 1953 coronation. Those numbers are well documented. A complete name-by-name list of women who curtsied as Elizabeth passed is not.

The same limit applies to George VI’s coronation on May 12, 1937. His daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, attended with Queen Mary. Queen Mary had once been queen consort, but her son outranked her once he became sovereign.

The historical record of George VI’s coronation confirms the date and ceremony. Queen Mary’s changed position also provides a useful comparison for Camilla’s future.

What Happens When William Becomes King?

William would become King immediately when his reign begins. A coronation would take place later.

If Catherine remains married to him, she would normally become queen consort at accession. She could then be crowned beside William through shorter rites similar to Camilla’s ceremony in 2023.

William would remain the sovereign. He would receive the monarch’s oath, regalia, crown, enthronement, and homage. Catherine would receive the rites prepared for a queen consort.

Other royal women could traditionally curtsy to both King William and Queen Catherine during formal encounters. Their acknowledgment of William would carry the added significance of recognizing the sovereign.

Catherine’s position would then resemble Camilla’s current one. She would hold the title and dignity of Queen without becoming the monarch.

What Would Change for Queen Camilla?

Camilla’s rank would change when Charles’s reign ends.

As the widow of a king, she could become a queen dowager. She would retain the dignity linked to her former position, but the new sovereign would outrank her.

If William became King, traditional royal practice could require Camilla to curtsy to him during formal greetings. Their family relationship would not override the order of rank.

Queen Mary faced a similar change after George V died. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother did as well after George VI died. Both remained queens by title, while the reigning monarch held the highest position.

The Coronation Curtsy Reveals the Royal Order

The strongest evidence from 2023 supports a clear conclusion.

Catherine curtsied to King Charles because he was the sovereign. William knelt because he was the heir performing formal homage. Camilla was crowned Queen, but the ceremony did not make her the monarch or require Catherine to complete a separate listed curtsy before her.

The same rules explain a future change. Catherine could one day stand beside William as Queen. Camilla could then acknowledge William as sovereign.

British royal ceremony can look personal because the people involved belong to one family. The coronation order gives a precise answer. Rank decides who receives homage, who offers a curtsy, and who holds the highest ceremonial position.