Rachel Weisz, Daniel Craig and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon 2023.Photo:Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty
Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty
Kate Middletonstopped to have a casual chat withDaniel CraigandRachel Weiszat Wimbledon, but was the couple too casual in greeting the royal?
Among themany famous faceswatching the men’s final at the tennis tournament’s final day of competition on Sunday were Craig and Weisz, who sat in the exclusive Royal Box. The Princess of Wales was spotted chatting with the pair, with Craig warmly greeting her and holding her hand in his.
However,Daily Maileditor Richard Eden criticized theJames Bondactor andThe Favouriteactress in a post onInstagram.
“This photograph makes me uneasy,” Eden wrote. “While there may not have been space for Rachel Weisz to curtsy or Daniel Craig to bow, shouldn’t they have at least stood up to greet the Princess of Wales? Craig could have even gone mad and removed his sunglasses.”
Daniel Craig and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon 2023.Karwai Tang/WireImage
Karwai Tang/WireImage
While a curtsy or bow is seen as a gesture of respect when meeting a member of the royal family, it’s not a requirement.
According to the British royal family’swebsite, which has yet to be updated in full following Queen Elizabeth’s death, “There are no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.”
Craig has a longstanding relationship with members of the royal family. He wasrecently made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George— just like the fictional spy he portrays onscreen — and haswelcomed members of the royal familyto Bond movie sets. In 2012, the actor memorably starred alongsideQueen Elizabethin aclipthat aired during the opening ceremony for the Olympics in London. After Craig’s Bond character was summoned to Buckingham Palace, he escorted the monarch out along the corridors (with corgis scurrying around their feet!) before stunt actors playing the pair parachuted from a helicopter into the Olympics venue.
Rachel Weisz, Daniel Craig and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon 2023.Karwai Tang/WireImage
Princess Kate, in her role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, handed out the trophies to the winners over the weekend. Both players in the men’s final, winner Carlos Alcaraz and runner-upNovak Djokovic,stopped to bowto the royal before collecting their trophies — a personal choice.
However, athletes competing on Wimbledon’s Centre Court used to be required to bow or curtsy if members of the royal family were seated in the Royal Box. A change was made in 2003, discontinuing the tradition and updated to apply only ifQueen Elizabethand then-Prince Charles— the monarch and her heir at the time — were in attendance.
Although the two royals weren’t regulars at the tennis tournament, Andy Murray and Jarkko Nieminen bowed to Queen Elizabeth when she attended in 2010. Murray called his bows “a bit awkward,” according toThe New York Times.
Andy Murray bows to Queen Elizabeth at Wimbledon 2010.David Ashdown/Getty
David Ashdown/Getty
Tennis star Martina Navratilova said she came to enjoy the tradition of turning to the Royal Box and curtsying. “When I got the hang of it, I came to quite enjoy it,” she said, according toThe New York Times. “I liked that part. The players walking on the court, curtsying in unison. That was a part of the great tradition here.”
Playersdid not bowto either Prince William, the current heir, or Queen Camillawhen they attendedthis year.
Novak Djokovic bows to Kate Middleton at Wimbledon 2019.TPN/Getty
TPN/Getty
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 41, have been known to shrug off any breaks in royal protocol.
“They are lovely,” Wales vendor Nicky Hurstpreviously told PEOPLEabout meeting the couple. “I wasn’t sure what they’d be like and what to call them in terms of their titles. I called them ‘Kate’ and ‘Will,’ and they were really relaxed.” (According to the royal family’s website, the correct formal address is “Your Royal Highness.” Then “Sir” or “Ma’am” can be used accordingly.)
Kate Middleton curtsies to King Charles and Queen Camilla on June 19, 2023.Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
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Such a formal greeting to a family membercame as a surprise to Meghan Marklewhen she started datingPrince Harry. Recalling meeting Queen Elizabeth for the first time on their Netflix showHarry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex said, “I remember we were in the car and we were driving up and he’s like, ‘You know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke.”
“How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother and that you would need to curtsy? Especially to an American. That’s weird,” Harry said.
source: people.com
