Princess Charlene of Monaco and her husband, Prince Albert, are visiting King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain in Madrid
Princess Charlene of Monaco and her husband, Prince Albert, are visiting King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain in Madrid The four royals formally greeted one another as part of a two-day visit by the Monaco couple to mark the 150th anniversary of the representation of the Principality in Spain.afterwards, former Olympian swimmer Charlene executed a flawless curtsy, with one royal fan hailing the graceful move as "perfect".
Wearing a sparkling light-blue dress and her hair styled in an elegant updo, she briefly bobbed down to greet King Felipe as a sign of ultimate respect, before exchanging an embrace. However, one royal fan pointed out that, strictly speaking, as head of State, Princess Charlene shouldn't curtsy to King Felipe, as they are both of equal rank.
They said Charlene had made a "protocol error", adding: "Although the title is that of Princess, she is the consort of a head of state; therefore, she should not curtsy to the Kings. The same applies to the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.
" However, others said it was merely a symbolic sign of "respect" and "reverence" from Princess Charlene, as Monaco is a Principality and not a Kingdom. Another pointed out that Charlene previously curtsied to Queen Elizabeth.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia, together with the Princes of Monaco, Albert II and Charlene at the Royal Botanical Garden One person wrote on X/Twitter: "Although she is a head of state, they are not crowned king or queen, so they are following protocol to a crowned monarch.
" Strict rules of etiquette are not officially established among European royal houses, meaning gestures such as curtsies are often used according to a royal's individual preference. Unlike the United Kingdom, which is a monarchy ruled by King Charles, Monaco is a principality, led by Prince Albert, due to its tiny size. This means that its rulers are styled as prince and princess, not king and queen.
"Through treaties, Monaco is under the protection of France," read a 2024 article in the Monaco Tribune about the history of the principality, citing this as the reason for the difference. If there's one royal who can immaculately perform the perfect curtsy every time, it's the Princess of Wales. In recent months, she's curtsied to King Charles at Easter and during the State Visit from Nigeria.
The British royal family has clearer guidance on when to curtsy, though they emphasise that there are "no obligatory codes of behaviour". However, "traditional" forms of greeting include a "neck bow whilst women do a small curtsy".
Princess Charlene of Monaco joined Prince Albert at the annual Monaco Rose Ball, along with the prince's sister, Princess Caroline of HanoverPrincess Charlene and her twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, posed for a stunning new portrait for Mother's Day in FranceThe royal and former Olympic swimmer joined her husband, Prince Albert, at the Formula One Gala Dinner at the Monaco Sporting in 2011Prince Albert and his wife, who started growing out her hair in 2025, attended the Monaco Sevens Tournament at the Prince Héréditaire Jacques Stadium
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