Royal family
Most people thought Sophie is the person who let Princess Charlotte know when to curtsy at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. But now a video reveals otherwise.
After Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022, all eyes were on Britain’s royal family when they said goodbye to the monarch during her state funeral. The service was held at Westminster Abbey in London with 2,000 people in attendance. Millions more tuned in from around the world to watch that as well as a committal service before the queen was laid to rest in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
In the days leading up to her funeral, many wondered if Prince William and the Princess of Wales’ (formerly known as Kate Middleton) children would be in attendance. Then, on Sept. 19, 2022, the couple’s two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, arrived with their mother at the Abbey. The youngsters sat solemnly through the service and when it concluded cameras caught them bowing and curtsying before the coffin carrying their great-grandmother.
A number of royal watchers believed that someone told Charlotte when the correct moment to perform the gesture was since George looked to her for guidance. Now, a video has gone viral that shows who let Charlotte know when to curtsy (and it isn’t who most people thought it was).
Clip shows who told Princess Charlotte and Prince George when to curtsy and bow at the funeral
A video uploaded to TikTok in January 2024 breaks down the moment Charlotte curtsied. Many previously thought that she got the cue from Sophie. But in a moment not seen by TV cameras Kate appeared to touch her daughter’s back to let her know it was time.
The 26-second clip then shows Charlotte glance at Sophie for reassurance before making the gesture. And after George sees his sister do it, he follows suit and bows his head. So far the video has 450,000 views and counting, more than 51,000 likes, and over 100 comments. The text in the clip reads: “Everyone thinks it was Sophie who reminded Charlotte to bow … But Kate.”
Some viewers noted that the Princess of Wales appeared to say something to her children at that moment as well writing: “Kate actually spoke as she went down. She did so to inform them to bow. She’s gently guiding them through this part of their learning journey,” and “You can see Kate says something to them both as she curtseys. Little subtle prompt.”
Fans noticed that as well in a similar video posted on YouTube and also picked up on “Kate and Sophie at the exact same time and staying down long enough for Charlotte to ‘catch up’ and finish together. That was beautiful!”
Charlotte later took the reigns and reminded her big brother when to bow
Following the state funeral, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin left Westminster Abbey and made its final journey to Windsor. She was interred there after a committal service and private burial at the King George VI Memorial Chapel which is also the final resting place of her father, her mother, her sister, and her husband Prince Philip.
Family members gathered outside Windsor Castle prior to the committal service and this time Princess Charlotte knew exactly when to curtsy and made sure her big brother knew when to bow.
In a video widely shared that day, Charlotte could be seen instructing Prince George on the proper protocol. And when cameras panned to the two, Charlotte appeared to tell her sibling “You need to bow” when their Gan Gan’s coffin came past them.
