Prince Harry Has To Bow To Prince William So Why Doesn’t He?

Lots have changed for the man formerly known as Prince–just call him Harry now! Following the stunning Megxit move that effectively rendered him persona non grata as a working, senior member of the royal family there are adjustments he must now make.

For instance, he and his wife Meghan Markle can still be called the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but they are not using their HRH titles. What does this mean as far as the royal protocol goes?

Does Harry Still Have To Bow To The Queen?

For instance, curious minds want to know how Harry is expected to comport himself when in the midst of royalty. One day his brother, Prince William, will be King—will Harry have to bow to him?

The simple answer is that rules which dictate bowing and/or curtsying are rather complicated. One thing we can tell you is that the regulations are linked to how the royals are ranked within the line of succession.

This means that 94-year old Queen Elizabeth is at the top of the ladder and everyone is expected to bow or curtsy upon meeting her. And yes, this includes her husband, Prince Philip!

Who Bows To Whom In The Royal Family?

Next comes Prince Charles who is the second highest-ranked member of the royal family, followed by his son, Prince William.

William is second in line to the throne and is higher in the line of succession than Harry. This means that technically Harry is expected to bow to his big bro during public engagements.

However, according to International Business Times, the royals are mainly okay with dispensing formalities when it comes to expected greetings, with the queen being the exception.

So, while Harry is supposed to bow to William, he never does. And the same is true for Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Meghan is supposed to curtsy to Kate but rarely does. Once Kate becomes queen consort however, that is expected to change.

That will happen will William ascends the throne and becomes in effect the new Queen Elizabeth in terms of bowing protocol.

Do The Rules Change Now That Harry Has Executed Megxit?

In a post-Megxit world, the rules regarding Harry and Meghan and royal protocol are a bit muddy. It is thought that Harry will likely continue not to bow to William but that he is still required to bow to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

This means that when William is on the throne, Harry will be compelled to bow to his brother—will he or won’t he? For that we’ll just have to wait and see!