The Royal Rules About Bowing and Curtsying Are So Weird, We Had to Do a Deep Dive

Normal things to do when finding oneself suddenly face-to-face with a member of the British royal family: spiral, panic, lose remaining grip on reality, and probably manage to perform something resembling a bow/curtsy. It's just protocol! But apparently Prince William and Kate Middleton are looking to modernize the royal family thanks to backlash to their extremely questionable tour of the Caribbean, and first on the list is nixing the whole bowing situation. Makes sense, since it's an older tradition.

So, what are the "rules" around royal bowing and curtsying, exactly?

Technically, There Are No Rules (but Really There Are)

The royal family cannot actually force anyone to bow at them lol, and they make it clear on their website that there "are no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting the Queen or a member of the royal family." But then they go on to list the "traditional" forms of greeting. TL;DR, one can bow at the neck or do a small curtsy when meeting the Queen or another royal. Simple!

The Royal Kids Start Bowing at Age 5

When do royal kids start bowing/curtsying to the Queen? Apparently, this tradition starts at age 5. Royal expert Marlene Eilers Koenig told Hello! Magazine in 2018 (via Travel + Leisure], “Certainly by age 5. The only person they will curtsy or bow to is the sovereign. A royal highness does not curtsy to another royal highness. Yes, there are articles that state this, but it is not true.”

Of Prince Charles' grandchildren in particular, only Prince George and Princess Charlotte are old enough to bow/curtsy to the Queen, while Prince Louis, Archie, and Lilibet won't be expected to do so because they're younger.

Wait, Do Other Royals Bow to Each Other?

While Koenig claims this is not the case, other reports say it is. Back in 2012, The Telegraph reported the royals "bow and curtsy to each other in public and in private" and noted that Kate Middleton was seen curtsying to Prince Philip on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The whole bowing thing was also discussed at length in 2018 when Meghan Markle married Prince Harry. At the time, MailOnline (via The Express) noted that Meghan and Kate were both required to curtsy to "blood princesses" (princesses born into the royal family, like Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie) due to being lower in rank.

However, if Meghan or Kate are in the room with Prince Harry or Prince William (who out-rank the "blood princesses"), they don't have to curtsy.

While speaking of Meghan specifically, a source told MailOnline the following:

This is honestly a lot to remember, and if at this point you find yourself wondering why, here's the deal:

There's an Order of Precedence

This document (officially called "Precedence Of The Royal Family To Be Observed At Court") was drawn up by the Queen's private secretary in 2005 to figure out where Duchess Camilla fit into the whole royal hierarchy after her marriage to Prince Charles.

The Telegraph reported the doc was updated (and circulated privately in the royal household) in 2012 after Kate Middleton joined the family, mostly to make it clear that Kate—at least when unaccompanied by Prince William—still had to curtsy to the "blood princesses."

Note: the precedence order also dictates the literal order in which royals walk into the room.

Does the Queen Bow to Anyone?

Short answer: no. However, she broke protocol during Princess Diana's funeral and was seen on camera bowing her head deeply in what was seen as a gesture of respect.

In the mood for more royal rules? Ahem:

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