Kate Middleton's Regal Curtsies to King Charles Go Viral

The Princess of Wales' curtsies have become the subject of a new viral video after a compilation of the royal performing the gesture to her father-in-law, King Charles III, was posted to social media site, TikTok.

Kate has performed numerous public curtsies over her 12 years as a member of the royal family, most notably to Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles in Britain.

Curtsies are a traditional reverential gesture observed by royal women in Britain and offered to the king or queen twice each day upon greeting and saying goodbye.

The movement, comprising a bending of the knee and bowing of the head, has become an increasing gesture of fascination to royal fans, with a number of videos and posts being made about them on social media.

Several members of the royal family have found their curtsies celebrated, analyzed and even criticized online, including Princess Diana, Princess Anne, Queen Camilla, Meghan Markle and Kate.

Uploaded to TikTok by user, star2810.mt, on December 31, a new compilation video shows highlights of Kate's curtsies to King Charles, since his accession in September 2022 and her own elevation to the senior royal title of Princess of Wales.

In his first address to the nation since Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, 2022, Charles announced that he had made William and Kate the new prince and princess of Wales. These titles are the most senior to be held by members of the royal family, apart from those held by Charles and Camilla.

Two clips included in the TikTok video show Kate curtsying to Charles during rehearsals for the coronation, which took place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023.

The behind-the-scenes footage of the king interacting with his daughter-in-law and grandchildren was included in the recently aired documentary in Britain: Charles III: The Coronation Year.

Also included was footage of Kate curtsying as Charles and Camilla entered Westminster Abbey to attend her specially organized Christmas carol concert, dedicated to the memory of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

Captioned "The Coronation behind the scenes and other King Charles and Princess Catherine sweet moments through the years..." the video has been viewed over 120,000 times on the social media site so far.

The post has also received in excess of 4,500 likes and numerous comments, many of which have praised the princess and her reverential gestures.

"You can tell how charmed he is by her," wrote one TikTok user of Charles.

"She has the best curtsy—always times to perfection," posted another, with a further comment reading: "I like that in every clip he has a genuine smile on his face when he's with her."

Charles and Kate have rarely spoken about their relationship in public. The king did give a brief insight into his affection for the princess in a speech he gave during a recent visit to Kenya.

During a state banquet held in Nairobi in October 2023, Charles referenced the fact that it was in Kenya that Prince William and Kate became engaged.

"It was here, in sight of Mount Kenya, that my son, The Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved daughter-in-law..." he said.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.