Prince William opted not to follow the usual royal etiquette by abstaining from bowing to Queen Camilla during her coronation, an action that didn’t go unnoticed.
Body language specialist, Judi James, postulated that it may have felt uncharacteristic for the future King of England to bow to his stepmother. She conjectured that his subconscious devotion to his late mother, Princess Diana, might have been an influencing factor.
During a special ceremony at Windsor Castle on May 6, most members of the Royal Family had settled in their seats by the time King Charles and Queen Camilla made their entrance. It’s noteworthy that Prince George and Princess Charlotte also refrained from formally acknowledging Camilla, echoing their father’s demeanor by only bowing or curtseying to the King.
Their mother, Kate, made a purposeful choice to curtsey to both the King and the Queen.
The royal protocol dictates that members of the royal family of lower rank should express their respect by bowing or curtseying to those of a higher rank. As such, William, as the Duke of Cambridge, should have bowed to Camilla.
Nonetheless, it’s plausible that Prince William had fulfilled this requirement earlier in the day, away from the cameras, and saw no reason to repeat it. James suggested that the Prince might have been hesitant to bow to the woman who now holds the same status as his late mother. Interestingly, he glanced towards his father but avoided making eye contact with his stepmother.
Contrarily, Kate extended a warm gesture towards Camilla. James interpreted this as an exceptional instance of selective obeisance, where William, George, and Charlotte opted not to bow or curtsey to Camilla, whereas Kate offered a deep curtsey to both Charles and Camilla as a gesture of conciliation.
James speculated that Kate’s interaction with Camilla was an effort to foster harmony within the royal family. Considering her own future potential role as Queen Consort, it’s understandable that she might desire the same decorum to be reciprocated.