Several moments from this year’s Commonwealth Day celebration quickly spread across social media, but one clip in particular caught viewers’ attention. It appeared to show Princess Anne refusing to curtsey to Queen Camilla during the official greeting at Westminster Abbey.
The Princess Royal arrived for the annual ceremony on Monday, March 9, alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales. The service, which has been held since the 1970s, is intended to reaffirm the Commonwealth’s commitment to cooperation and peace among nations.
As the royal family gathered to greet one another before the service, Prince William approached his father, King Charles III, first. He placed a hand on the King’s shoulder and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before turning to Queen Camilla to offer the same respectful gesture. Princess Kate also greeted the King warmly, giving a curtsey before exchanging a brief kiss on the cheek.
The moment that sparked online debate
While these greetings were taking place, Princess Anne waited nearby before stepping forward to greet her brother. Dressed in an ivy green outfit, she exchanged a warm embrace with King Charles and performed a formal curtsey by placing one leg behind the other.
After their brief exchange, Anne moved toward Queen Camilla. She greeted her sister-in-law with a kiss on the cheek, placing a hand on her shoulder as they spoke for a moment. However, unlike her greeting with the King, Anne did not perform a curtsey.
That small detail did not go unnoticed online. Once clips of the interaction began circulating, viewers started questioning whether the Princess Royal had deliberately skipped the gesture. Some social media users suggested it looked like a subtle snub, while others simply wondered whether royal protocol required a curtsey in that situation.
Why Princess Anne did not need to curtsey
In reality, the moment was less dramatic than it appeared. Royal protocol explains why Anne did not perform the same gesture for Camilla.
Following the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023, adjustments were made to the order of precedence within the royal family. Women who were born into the royal family, including Princess Anne as well as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, hold a different position in the hierarchy compared with those who married into it.
Because of this distinction, Princess Anne is not required to curtsey to Queen Camilla. The rule allows women born into royalty to greet the Queen without following the same formal gesture expected from others.
So while the clip sparked lively speculation online, the moment was simply an example of royal protocol in action rather than a sign of tension within the family.
