According to a body language expert cited by The Mirror, Prince William’s failure to bow to Queen Camilla during the Coronation can be seen as a reflection of his instinctive loyalty to his late mother, Princess Diana.
Although this act went against royal protocol, William’s hesitation to bow to his stepmother, who had an extramarital affair with his father, King Charles, throughout his marriage to Diana, might have made it feel unnatural for him.
It is worth noting that William was not the only one to omit the bow, as the majority of the royal family only bowed or curtseyed to the King.
Royal protocol dictates that individuals of lower rank should bow or curtsey to those of higher rank, meaning that William and other members of the royal family should have paid their respects to the new Queen.
While it is possible that William had already bowed earlier in the day off camera and felt no need to do so again, the expert suggests that William might not have felt comfortable bowing to the woman who took his mother’s place on the throne of the United Kingdom. The expert points out that William looked toward his father but avoided making eye contact with his stepmother.
The expert describes this as a unique case of selective bowing, noting that William’s two eldest children, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte, also refrained from bowing or curtseying to Camilla.