Should Meghan Markle Curtsy To Kate Middleton If She Becomes ‘Princess Of Wales?’

When Prince Charles takes the throne and Prince William becomes the Prince of Wales, Kate Middleton will take the title “Princess of Wales.” Although the shake-up in the line of succession will not happen unless Queen Elizabeth dies, many royal followers already wonder if Meghan Markle will have to curtsy to Kate when she adopts her new title.

The answer to this question is quite complicated. First and foremost, just because Prince Charles becomes king doesn’t mean that Prince William automatically becomes the Prince of Wales. Contrary to popular belief that this title is inherited, it is not. Instead, it is a gift that comes from the monarch.

That means that when Prince Charles becomes king, his title “Prince of Wales” will automatically merge with his Crown. Once he becomes the monarch, he may choose to bestow his old title to Prince William so he will become the new Prince of Wales. In that case, Kate Middleton will automatically become the Princess of Wales.

As to whether or not Meghan needs to curtsy to Kate when she adopts her new title, the answer is it depends. Kate’s position as the future queen consort has nothing to do with any elevation in her status. Even if she becomes the Princess of Wales, she will still have the same rank as Meghan’s because both of them are not of royal blood and only derive their titles from their husbands.

When it comes to curtsying, different rules apply, depending on the gathering and whether or not Kate is alone. Since William is the one who technically has the royal rank and not Kate, without Prince William, Kate has no rank. Considering that, Meghan Markle is not required to curtsy to Kate at all times.

If Meghan faces Kate and Kate is with Prince William but Prince Harry is not with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex will need to curtsy to Kate. This is more of an acknowledgement of Prince William’s position than Kate’s. If both Prince William and Prince Harry meet with their wives, no one curtsies since Prince William’s line in succession bears no weight on his current status. Until he becomes the monarch, he and Prince Harry remain equally ranked.

The issue of curtsying among the members of the royal family has been dispensed with in recent times because it can be quite confusing and tiresome. Nowadays, the only person in the royal family whom every family member curtsies to — regardless of the formality of an occasion or who is present — is Queen Elizabeth. This is because she’s not just a queen consort but also a blood royal ruling queen.