Why Kate Middleton Curtsied 4 Times to King Charles and Queen Camilla During French State Visit

The Princess of Wales is a master of the royal greeting, and she made sure the King and Queen didn’t miss it

Kate Middleton is well-versed in the art of the curtsy, and she did the dip multiple times during the kick-off of the France state visit to the U.K.

After Princess Kate and Prince William, both 43, welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, to the U.K. at RAF Northolt in London, they traveled to meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor. There, the Macrons greeted the King and Queen while the Prince and Princess of Wales hung back.

A video of the welcome showed Kate dip into two curtsies in the background — however, it seemed that King Charles and Queen Camilla missed her greetings as they chatted with the French President and his wife.

When Princess Kate and Prince William came over to talk with the King and Queen, she repeated the gesture of curtsying again to ensure it was seen. After doing a quick little dip for King Charles, Kate had a longer greeting with Queen Camilla, exchanging a kiss on the cheek before doing a fourth and final curtsy.

Kate Middleton curtsies to Queen Camilla during the official French state visit on July 8, 2025. Samir Hussein/WireImage

Despite their own royal status, the Prince and Princess of Wales regularly follow formal royal protocol by bowing and curtseying to the King, 76, and Queen, 77.

In addition to the formal acknowledgment, King Charles and Queen Camilla are known to add a less-ceremonial cheek kiss or hug to close friends and family members.

The royal family and the Macrons at the state visit on July 8, 2025.DYLAN MARTINEZ/POOL/AFP via Getty

Royal protocol was also called into question during the start of the Macrons’ visit when the French president greeted both Queen Camilla and Princess Kate with a kiss on the hand.

While the very French gesture may have raised some eyebrows, it is not actually against any rules. The royal family’s official website explains that there are no strict codes of conduct for meeting royals.

“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or 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. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way,” the website states.

In fact, King Charles repaid the warm gesture, welcoming Brigitte with a kiss on the hand as well.