Was exhaustion to blame for Princess Charlotte's surprising slip-up at the
coronation concert? Whatever the reason, viewers definitely didn't miss this moment.
At 8 years old, Princess Charlotte is growing up fast. The middle child of William and Catherine,
Prince and Princess of Wales, Charlotte made an impressive appearance at King
Charles III's coronation. Charlotte matched her mother at the coronation,
both in her fashion and stately demeanor — she also wowed royal fans.
"She's sort of mastered that sort of royal approach to
public appearances at a really young age."
The young princess helped out by holding Prince Louis' hand as the family entered
Westminster Abbey. Charlotte also kept her little brother company during the service and
talked quietly with him. According to Hello! Magazine, the day after the coronation Prince
William told people that his daughter was "very tired." The reason for Charlotte's exhaustion,
he said, was ensuring that her younger brother was behaving at the coronation.
However, by the time the coronation concert rolled around, Charlotte was
rested up and ready to enjoy the festivities. The princess melted
hearts as fans observed her having fun during the show. Charlotte was excited
to wave her union jack flag and sing along with Katy Perry's "Roar." She and her older brother,
Prince George, were also enthralled by Muppet legends Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
"We're looking for our seats, you know. We are, we're in the royal box."
While it was a great evening for Charlotte overall, there were a few difficulties.
The princess got frustrated when her father playfully waved his flag close to her face.
Charlotte also needed Kate's help to tighten her concert wristband. In addition, before the show
even got underway, Charlotte was seen making a minor mistake when greeting Queen Camilla.
On May 7, 2023, King Charles and Queen Camilla walked by the Wales family on
their way to their coronation concert seats. As Charles approached Catherine,
she curtsied to the newly crowned monarch before dipping into an immediate second
curtsy to Camilla. Princess Charlotte, who was next to her mother, also curtsied
to her grandfather. However, she missed the opportunity to curtsy to her step-grandmother.
On her way out of the curtsy, Charlotte side-stepped and ended
up looking in the king's direction. By the time she looked the other way,
Camilla was right in front of her. The queen gently touched the girl on
the shoulder and Charlotte beamed a smile. While recalling the moment, a fan tweeted:
"Love the little squeeze The Queen gave Charlotte, there is so much love in those two families."
Until Camilla became queen consort in September 2022, royal females weren't
required to greet her with a curtsy. Even now that she's been crowned, the royal family's
website notes that there's still no mandatory "codes of behavior when meeting the queen."
This means Charlotte's missed curtsy wasn't a breach of protocol. Small slip-ups aside,
the young princess has proven her etiquette prowess time and again. When she was two,
Charlotte was spotted curtsying in Poland during a royal tour. She also followed Kate's lead two
years later, giving Queen Elizabeth II a curtsy after she departed a Christmas day service.
Much has been speculated about the dynamics between Queen Camilla and
the rest of the royal family. Royal author Angela Levin wrote in her book, "Camilla:
From Outcast to Queen Consort," that the new queen does not have a close
relationship with the children of the Duke and Duchess of Wales. Levin wrote:
"William has made it clear that Camilla is the wife of his father,
but not a step-grandmother to his children."
While the two may not be very close, the small exchange between Princess Charlotte
and Queen Camilla after the young royal's curtsey misstep shows that the two still have a relatively
positive relationship. Instead of showing any sign of offense toward Princess Charlotte,
the light pat and squeeze from Queen Camilla seemed to give the princess all the reassurance
she needed. The eight-year-old may still be learning the ins and outs of royal etiquette,
but at least she is surrounded by friendly faces along the way.