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Kate Middleton is the queen of the curtsy!
The Princess of Wales, 41, supported the royal family at Garter Day on Monday, celebrating the Order of the Garter with its annual service and procession at Windsor Castle. Since she is a not a Companion of the Order, Princess Kate watched from the side as the parade to St. George’s Chapel went by.
When King Charles and Queen Camilla walked by in their royal regalia — blue mantles (robes) and hats topped with ostrich feathers — Kate dipped into a curtsy, expertly keeping her balance as she placed one foot behind the other and knelt down.
Kate curtsied again — alongside Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh while Prince William and Prince Edward nodded their heads in bows — on the steps outside St. George’s Chapel as King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, took off in their carriage following the service.
Just as public citizens may opt to do when meeting a royal, it’s common to see members of the family showing respect while greeting each other — men traditionally bow their heads while women dip into a curtsy.
Following Queen Elizabeth‘s death last year, her eldest son immediately acceded to the throne as His Majesty King Charles alongside his wife, Her Majesty Queen Camilla. All members of the royal family, including those with His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles such as Princess Kate, bow or curtsy to the monarch and his wife when greeting them for the first time in a while — even his children! Prince William, who became the Prince of Wales as heir to the throne, has been spotting bowing his head to greet his father and stepmother, and Prince Harry bowed when his father passed him at the coronation on May 6.
When royals don’t bow or curtsy to greet the King and Queen, there’s likely a logical reason why: they’ve probably already seen each other that day. In addition to the formal gesture, Charles and Camilla are often seen greeting family members with kisses on the cheeks or hugs.
On Monday, Princess Kate had a very different greeting when she saw Prince William, who will celebrate his 41st birthday this week, taking part in the procession — a big smile as they locked eyes!
The Order of the Garter has a special spot in the history of William and Kate’s relationship. In 2008, Kate attended the ceremony as Prince William’s girlfriend three years before they married, showing that she was being welcomed into the royal family fold.
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The Princess of Wales attended Monday’s service in a black and white polka dot dress by Alessandra Rich topped with a Philip Treacy hat featuring matching colors and dots.
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Kate also reached for a special accessory: the Collingwood pearl and diamond earrings. The jewels previously belonged to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, and Princess Kate has worn them on several occasions through the years — including at palace galas paired with a tiara!
According to the royal family’s website, King Edward III (who ruled from 1327 to 1377) was so inspired by tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table that he set up his own group of honorable knights called the Order of the Garter.
Following the service at St. George’s Chapel, Princess Kate and Prince William rode together in a horse-drawn carriage — just two days after Kate took a similar ride at Trooping the Colour on Saturday.
While William rode on horseback for the King’s birthday parade, Kate rode in the Ascot Landau with Queen Camilla and her three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Princess Kate also showed her support for her husband at Trooping the Colour. She chose a green dress by Andrew Gn, a fashion designer from Singapore. It was a clear nod to Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, which will hold its third awards ceremony in the Asian country in November.
The bold color was no coincidence either — in fact, it carried quite a few meanings. Green nodded to her role as honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards as well as the nation of Wales, where green is a prominent color in the Welsh flags.
Some noted that the hue echoed the color that Queen Elizabeth wore to the same event last year, which kicked off her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Kate completed the weekend look with sapphire and diamond earrings that previously belonged to Princess Diana and pinned on the Irish Guards’ gold shamrock brooch.
