Now That Camilla Parker Bowles Is Queen Consort She No Longer Has to Do This 1 Thing to Other Members of the Royal Family

Camilla Parker Bowles has made an incredible royal transformation over the past three decades. She went from being the mistress of the then-Prince Charles (when he was married to Princess Diana) to the wife of a king. And now that Camilla is the queen consort, she no longer has to do this one thing to other members of the royal family.

Camilla Parker Bowles’ title changed when King Charles ascended to the throne

When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, her oldest son and heir ascended to the throne and became King Charles III. Since that day, a lot of changes have been going on within the royal family. The line of succession has changed, new etiquette rules are being adopted, and royal titles have been switched up.

When she married Charles in 2005, Camilla became the Duchess of Cornwall and the Princess of Wales. Those are titles that automatically go to the wife of the heir, although she didn’t use the Princess of Wales title out of respect for the late Princess Diana. 

Now that Charles is king, Camilla has the title of queen consort. That makes her the most-senior female member of the royal family. Taking the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales — as they are now known — is Prince William and Kate Middleton. The heir and his wife also have the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.

Now that she is queen consort, she no longer has to do this 1 thing

One of the biggest changes made in the family since Queen Elizabeth’s death actually applies exclusively to Camilla. Now that she is queen consort, she no longer has to curtsey to other members of the royal family. However, everyone else must curtsey to her — the only exception being her husband.

The only time the queen consort will curtsey from now on is when she meets other monarchs from around the world. The gesture is considered a sign of respect.

There are actually some pretty wild rules when it comes to greeting a member of the royal family. According to the royal website, “there are no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting” the king or a member of the royal family. But, there is an extensive list of “traditional” forms of greeting.

How other royals may greet King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles

The king and queen consort can’t force anyone to bow or curtsey to them. But, most men do bow at the neck and most women perform a small curtsey when meeting a royal. This apparently goes for members of the royal family, too. Most insiders claim that royals do bow to each other, both in private and in public.  And royal children start this tradition at the age of five. 

Based on seniority, members of the royal family bow or curtsey to anyone who has a higher rank. However, there is a caveat about “blood princesses” like Eugenie and Beatrice as opposed to princesses like Kate Middleton, who married into the royal family. There are also rules about greetings based on whether or not Kate is alone or with Prince William. 

Honestly, it’s a lot to keep straight and there is a good chance that all of these formal greetings will eventually subside. According to Cosmopolitan, William and Kate want to be less formal and seen as more approachable after they received backlash during their tour of the Caribbean earlier this year.

Dubbed “the Cambridge way,” the couple reportedly requested to be called by their first names and for people to stop bowing to them.