Princess Kate and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, timing their curtsies perfectly went viral on TikTok.
The royal relatives looked in sync as they performed the royal gesture for King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the carriage procession for the order of the Garter service on June 16.
Kate looked elegant in a white dress by Self-Portrait and a matching hat by Sean Barrett as she watched outside St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Why It Matters
A clip of the moment they curtsied perfectly in time went viral on TikTok where it was liked 9,000 times and viewed 125,000 times.
What to Know
The footage shows the two women curtsy to Charles and Camilla at exactly the same time as they watch the procession.
Royal curtsies have been debated in recent years since Meghan Markle famously performed a mock reenactment of the first time she curtsied to Queen Elizabeth II, which offended many, during her December 2022 Netflix show Harry & Meghan.
Since then, there has been a greater focus on royal curtsies on social media sites like TikTok.
The Order of the Garter is Britain’s oldest code of chivalry and dates back to 1348 when it was created by Edward III.
The royal family‘s website read: “In medieval times, King Edward III was so inspired by tales of King Arthur and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table that he set up his own group of honourable knights, called the Order of the Garter.”
The king and queen are both members as are Prince William and Sophie’s husband Prince Edward.
Prince Andrew remains a member despite his retreat from public life, which meant he skipped the service at St George’s Chapel, thought the BBC reported he attended a lunch for knights and ladies of the Garter hosted by King Charles III.
What People Are Saying
The footage was posted with the message, “Curtsy. Synchronously🎀🪷,” while one reply suggested it was a “very sweet” moment.
After the service, Kate and William’s official account on X posted: “A pleasure attending the Order of the Garter today in Windsor. A brilliant celebration of tradition, service and duty. Thank you to everyone involved.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.