It’s a magic moment in every royal wedding, a rather regal gesture in a special day filled with ceremony. But this time round, we all missed out on seeing it. As the Duchess of Sussex curtsied to The Queen for the first time as a member of the Royal Family, the TV cameras were focused elsewhere.
The couple made their bow and curtsy at the very end of the ceremony. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex emerged from signing the register and stood at the foot of the High Altar to join their guests in singing the National Anthem. They then paid tribute to The Queen in the traditional way but while we had been given plenty of close-ups of Meghan singing, just as she made her first curtsy as a duchess the cameras panned up.
Which meant that while viewers watching the Royal Wedding were treated to a rather lovely overhead shot of St George’s Chapel, Windsor, they missed out on seeing Harry and Meghan’s bow and curtsy. And as the cameras didn’t show this moment, there was no mention made of it either by the commentators describing the ceremony to the millions watching around the world. By the time the lenses were back on the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they were making their way down the aisle to greet the crowds waiting to celebrate with them.
The TV coverage quickly gave way to plenty of debate on social media with people asking if Harry and Meghan had forgotten to bow and curtsy to The Queen. Closer inspection of the footage shows the couple did follow etiquette but you have to look very closely to be able to see it.
Which means, for now, our only image of Meghan curtsying to The Queen remains the rather elegant dip she performed on Christmas Day as she waited with her then-fiancé for the departure of the Monarch from St. Mary Magdalene Church following the morning service there. There will be many more moments when we will no doubt see the Duchess of Sussex curtsying to her grandmother in law but this special moment at her royal wedding is something only her guests and family will be able to say they witnessed.
