She may be married to a prince and could one day become Queen of England, but the Duchess of Cambridge apparently is still outranked when it come to having to curtsy to "blood princesses" in the royal family.
As a result, should Kate happen to see husband Prince William's cousins – such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, or Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne – she should show the proper mark of respect, it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph.
The rule of protocol comes after the Queen reportedly underlined the order of precedence in the family by circulating a memo to the various branches of the royal family in Britain.
But Kate will not have to curtsy to any of the princesses when she is with William, which, of course, is most of the time when she would be in the company of the royals.
In practice, according to most royal observers, this really means that she will only be seen making the bow to the Queen and Prince Philip – to whom all the royals bow in reverence.
The Sunday Telegraph said the rules follow a precedent set when Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, married Prince Charles in 2005.
While Buckingham Palace explains some of the formalities and traditions on the official family website, a spokesman at the Palace had no comment, saying this was a private matter for the Queen.
Kate Must Curtsy to Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie, Per Protocol
Kate (far left), with Prince William, curtsies to Queen Elizabeth
Phil Noble/Getty
Latest News
On Newsstands Now
- Angelina: Inside Her Brave Choice
- New Details on the Ohio Three
- Prince Harry Takes America!
Pick up your copy on newsstands
Click here for instant access to the Digital Magazine
Advertisement
