Despite her own royal status, the Princess of Wales is known to dip down for the monarch as a gesture of respect

Prince William and Kate Middleton at Order of the Garter service on June 16, 2025.Credit : 

Kate Middleton always knows how to make a curtsy look effortless.

The Princess of Wales, 43, joined members of the royal family at the annual Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on Monday, June 16. As Kate exited St. George’s Chapel — the venue that has hosted prominent royal weddings, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 nuptials — she paused on the famous steps as King Charles and Queen Camilla got into a horse-drawn carriage for the ride back to the castle. As they pulled away, Princess Kate dipped into an impressive curtsy, as seen in a video shared on social media.

Making the moment even more impressive, Kate’s curtsy perfectly coordinated with Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s same gesture.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and Kate Middleton at the Order of the Garter service on June 16, 2025.Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty

Despite her own royal status, the Princess of Wales is often spotted dipping into a curtsy as a sign of respect to King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77. All members of the royal family, including those with His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles, are known to bow or curtsy to the monarch and his wife when greeting them for the first time in a while. Even the King’s children follow suite, and the heir to the throne, Prince William, has been spotted bowing his head to greet his father and stepmother.

When royals don’t bow or curtsy to greet the King and Queen, it’s possible that they’ve already seen each other that day. In addition to the formal gesture, Charles and Camilla are often seen greeting family members with cheek kisses or hugs.

Traditionally, women curtsy while men bow their heads when meeting a member of the royal family. However, it’s also perfectly acceptable to take a less formal route and simply shake hands when being introduced to a royal.

Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Order of the Garter service on June 16, 2025.

King Charles and Queen Camilla led the carriage procession on the Windsor Castle grounds, followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales riding in a separate horse-drawn coach. The royal couple smiled and waved to onlookers as they made their way from the chapel to the castle.

Princess Kate’s appearance at the Order of the Garter ceremony, where members of the order wear regal blue velvet capes with an ostrich plume hat, marked a return to the annual event after missing it last year. She stayed largely out of the spotlight in 2024 amid her cancer diagnosis and treatment, but after announcing she was in remission in January, Kate has returned to royal duties in full force.

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the world’s oldest national order of knighthood, started by King Edward III around 700 years old when he was inspired by tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Membership of the order is limited to the monarch, the Prince of Wales and royals from the U.K. and abroad. There are just 24 companions, and appointments are at the monarch’s discretion to recognize public service or personal service to the sovereign.