Princess Catherine will always master a curtsy, and she pulled off a particularly elegant one today, as she greeted Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the sultan of Oman, in Windsor, England.
Kate joined Prince William, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla to welcome the Middle Eastern monarch during his historic visit to the United Kingdom (his first official visit as sultan and the first visit from an Omani sultan to Britain in 44 years).
The British royals held a ceremony on the Royal Dais at Datchet Road for the sultan’s arrival, and as she greeted him, Kate dipped into a low, poised curtsy while maintaining her posh posture and bright smile. A true princess.
For the occasion, the Princess of Wales wore an emerald-green coatdress from Alexander McQueen, which she layered over a lacy black high-neck top and paired with other green accessories, including a hat, a mini bag, and velvet Manolo Blahnik heels.
So, when does Kate curtsy? The princess curtsies during formal greetings to senior members of the royal family and visiting heads of state. She bows to Charles and Camilla upon their first meeting of the day, and performs a formal curtsy when welcoming visiting kings, queens, presidents, or rulers.
She also sometimes curtsies to blood princes and princesses, like Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. This is because while William’s higher royal rank reflects on Kate when they are together, she is technically of lower rank than blood royals when William is not with her, which requires her to curtsy to them upon their first meeting of the day.
When Kate becomes queen consort one day, she and William will hold the highest ranks in the monarchy, so she will no longer have to curtsy to anyone, instead, they will curtsy to her.
See the most iconic photographs of royal curtsies through history here.