The Most Iconic Photographs of Royal Curtsies Through History
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It's tradition to greet members of the royal family with a curtsy or bow.
While there are technically "no obligatory codes of behaviour," according to the royal family's official website, we've often seen royals like Princess Diana, Princess Kate, and Duchess Meghan dip into a low bow as they meet with more senior members of the family (ahem, like the late Queen Elizabeth II).
Naturally, these customary moments have been captured on camera over the years. Click ahead to see all the photos of the most iconic curtsies in royal history.
May 6, 1960
Princess Margaret curtsies to her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II, during her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones.
November 14, 1973
Princess Anne curtsies to her mother, Queen Elizabeth, on her wedding day to Captain Mark Phillips.
July 29, 1981
Walking down the aisle on her wedding day, Princess Diana dips into a deep curtsy before Queen Elizabeth while then-Prince Charles lowers his head into a bow.
July 23, 1986
Sarah, Duchess of York, curtsies to her mother-in-law during her wedding to Prince Andrew.
November 11, 1986
Diana performs a low curtsy as she meets with Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman.
April 22, 1987
Diana curtsies to King Juan Carlos of Spain during a royal tour of Madrid.
April 25, 1987
Diana curtsies to King Juan Carlos of Spain, who in turn kisses her hand.
November 12, 1990
Diana greets Japan's Emperor of Akihito with a curtsy.
April 1, 1992
Diana curtsies to Queen Elizabeth during the funeral of her father, John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer.
November 11, 1993
Diana accidentally breaks protocol when she curtsies to a dignitary during a Malaysian state banquet in London. The woman returns the gesture with her own curtsy.
April 29, 2011
After their wedding, Prince William bows and then-Duchess Kate curtsies to Queen Elizabeth as they head back down the aisle of Westminster Abbey.
June 23, 2012
Princess Beatrice performs a low curtsy during the Royal Ascot.
May 13, 2015
Camilla dips into a curtsy before her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth.
June 13, 2016
Kate and Camilla perform a curtsy after the Order of The Garter Service at St George's Chapel.
April 16, 2017
Kate performs a deep curtsy as the queen arrives for the traditional Easter service at St George's Chapel.
June 22, 2017
Sophie, then-Countess of Wessex, shows off a perfect curtsy to the queen during the Royal Ascot.
December 25, 2017
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, performs her first-ever public curtsy during the royal family's annual Christmas morning walk in Sandringham. Kate is photographed curtsying beside her, while their husbands, Prince Harry and Prince William, respectively, lower their heads into a bow.
June 22, 2018
Princess Beatrice holds the hand of her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, as the two curtsy together in front of Queen Elizabeth's passing carriage.
October 26, 2018
Meghan pays her respects to King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u Tuku'aho of Tonga by lowering into a curtsy.
December 25, 2018
Meghan does a deep curtsy at the 2018 Christmas service.
April 21, 2019
Kate dips into a curtsy at the Easter service at St George's Chapel as the queen walks past.
December 25, 2019
Princess Charlotte practices her curtsy while greeting her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, on Christmas.
April 17, 2021
Kate dips into a low bow as Queen Elizabeth exits her car to enter the funeral of her late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
September 11, 2022
Princess Anne drops into a curtsy as the coffin of her mother, Queen Elizabeth, is carried into the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
September 14, 2022
Alongside Harry, Meghan dips into a low curtsy as she pays her respects to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth, which lies in state in Westminster Hall.
September 19, 2022
At the late monarch's funeral, members of the family pay their respects to the passing coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, including Duchess Meghan, Queen Camilla, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Kate, Duchess Sophie, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte.
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