Prince William’s ‘endearing’ moment with Queen Camilla during state visit as he ‘snubs’ royal protocol

The Prince of Wales made a sweet gesture

Prince William shared a sweet moment with Queen Camilla on the first day of this week’s state visit.

The royal family hosted the President of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, in Windsor.

On Wednesday, the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed the president and first lady to Windsor before accompanying them to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla for the ceremonial greeting.

It was here, that William, 43, and Catherine, 44, greeted the king and queen with much affection.

The Prince of Wales kissed Queen Camilla in a sweet moment during the state visit (Credit: Zak Hussein)

Prince William’s kiss with Queen Camilla during state visit

As William and Catherine approached the king and queen, alongside the president and first lady, the Prince of Wales was seen bending down to kiss Queen Camilla on each cheek.

It’s very endearing to watch.

Shortly before, she was seen curtsying to King Charles.

A royal fan gushed over the moment on X, writing: “I love the mutual admiration and respect that Princess Catherine and Prince William show toward Queen Camilla. It’s very endearing to watch.”
The Princess of Wales is often praised for her greetings to the king and queen (Credit: Zak Hussein)

Does Prince William have to bow to Camilla?

There are no official rules that dictate if or when a member of the royal family must curtsy or bow to the king and queen.

However, the Prince and Princess of Wales are often seen performing these gestures to Charles and Camilla when greeting them.

According to the royal website: “There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting [The King] 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.”

It seems during this state visit, the pair opted for a more informal way of greeting Camilla.

Princess of Wales praised for curtsy to King Charles

The Princess of Wales never fails to impress when performing a traditional curtsy. On Wednesday, she dipped into a curtsy in front of the king.

One person wrote alongside  a video of the moment on X: “The Princess of Wales has the most elegant curtsy, always so graceful and perfectly poised.”

Someone else added: “HRH The Princess of Wales greets HM The King with a graceful curtsy. A beautiful moment of tradition and respect.”

Speaking to CasinoHawks, former royal butler Grant Harrold analysed Prince William and Kate’s role in the state visit.

He said: “They do have an important role and they’re very much involved in the state visit. William is the king in waiting, so he’ll be learning the ropes and observing when it’s his time to take on a state visit.”