Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have been visiting Spain this week. It’s technically a state visit, since Albert is the “head of state” of the principality of Monaco, and King Felipe is Spain’s head of state. The photos in this post are from Monday, where the two royal couples visited the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid, and highlighted the Artists of Monaco exhibitions. This happened soon after Albert and Charlene arrived. Upon their arrival, Charlene tried to navigate the tricky curtsy protocols for greeting a king/head of state. Charlene’s navigation led her to performing a deep curtsy for both King Felipe and Queen Letizia:
Again, technically speaking, no one has to curtsy to anyone. Felipe and Albert are both heads of state and their wives/consorts are given the same rank, meaning they ALL have the same “rank.” But as I was trying to find this video, I ran into other videos of Charlene curtsying to basically every royal she meets. Years ago, when she greeted then-Prince Charles, she curtsied to him too. When she met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, she curtsied to both of them as well. It’s possible that she doesn’t know the protocol so she just does it to everyone. Or maybe it’s her sign of respect for other royals, given that she’s just a married-in. Albert tends to greet kings as equals (no bowing), and you’d think that maybe he would encourage her to treat these people as equals?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- King Felipe and Queen Letizia, together with the Princes of Monaco, Albert II and Charléne at the Royal Botanical Garden to visit the exhibitions “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, on 1 June 2026, in Madrid (Spain). Don Felipe and Doña Letizia visit, together with Prince Albert II and Charlène of Monaco, the exhibitions commemorating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first diplomatic mission between Spain and Monaco, “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, coinciding with the celebration of the 270th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Botanical Garden in 1755. 01 JUNE 2026 06/01/2026,Image: 1107172645, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: José Oliva/Europa Press/Avalon
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- King Felipe and Queen Letizia, together with the Princes of Monaco, Albert II and Charléne at the Royal Botanical Garden to visit the exhibitions “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, on 1 June 2026, in Madrid (Spain). Don Felipe and Doña Letizia visit, together with Prince Albert II and Charlène of Monaco, the exhibitions commemorating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first diplomatic mission between Spain and Monaco, “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, coinciding with the celebration of the 270th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Botanical Garden in 1755. 01 JUNE 2026 06/01/2026,Image: 1107172880, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: José Oliva/Europa Press/Avalon
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- King Felipe and Queen Letizia, together with the Princes of Monaco, Albert II and Charléne at the Royal Botanical Garden to visit the exhibitions “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, on 1 June 2026, in Madrid (Spain). Don Felipe and Doña Letizia visit, together with Prince Albert II and Charlène of Monaco, the exhibitions commemorating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first diplomatic mission between Spain and Monaco, “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, coinciding with the celebration of the 270th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Botanical Garden in 1755. 01 JUNE 2026 06/01/2026,Image: 1107173240, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: José Oliva/Europa Press/Avalon
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- King Felipe and Queen Letizia, together with the Princes of Monaco, Albert II and Charléne at the Royal Botanical Garden to visit the exhibitions “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, on 1 June 2026, in Madrid (Spain). Don Felipe and Doña Letizia visit, together with Prince Albert II and Charlène of Monaco, the exhibitions commemorating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first diplomatic mission between Spain and Monaco, “8th Forum of the Artists of Monaco” and “Monaco and Spain: five centuries of shared history”, coinciding with the celebration of the 270th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Botanical Garden in 1755. 01 JUNE 2026 06/01/2026,Image: 1107173704, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Credit line: José Oliva/Europa Press/Avalon
I am no expert, however, Charlene is a ‘Her Serene Highness’ rather than ‘Her Royal Highness’ – I think that means she is technically a rung below, hence all the curtseying.
This is often given as the reason Princess Caroline won’t divorce her husband; they hate each other, have been separated for years, but through marriage to him, she’s an HRH, not an HSH.
Charlene looks so much better! Letezia seems protective of her, or very welcoming.
Yes she does look like she has recovered from whatever illness or crisis she had a few years ago, she looked so frail then.
If one believes in such things, Charlene curtsies to anyone who is an HRH, because she is “only” an HSH (serene highness). I believe that technically King Charles would be expected to bow to Emperor Naruhito in Japan as well, which is why they don’t get together, but I could be misremembering.
Why is Prince Albert not a King at this point?
It’s a technicality because Monaco is a principality, not a kingdom
There’s a photo of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip bowing to the emperor of Ethiopia
Smiles, that’s a fake photo. The King or Queen of England does not bow to anyone.
Charlene is a married-in princess and only an HSH, while Letizia and Felipe are HRH and the King and Queen of Spain.
Letizia is married in and queen consort, not the reigning monarch.
I don’t know all the ins and outs of the rules, but I do remember that when Princess Caroline of Monaco got married to Ernst August of Hanover, he had to get permission from QEII to marry “below” him. Royalty is weird.
Per the Royal Marriage Act in effect at the time, any descendant of George III in line for the throne needs to get the sovereign’s permission to marry. George III son’s had a penchant for living with/marrying women who at the time weren’t considered suitable (not royal, not of their class, Catholic) so the Act was an attempt to stop this. I think the Act has been modified to limit who needs permission because the Hanovers are way down the line of succession.
She’s had the job for 15 years; there’s no chance she doesn’t “know” the protocol.
She has her reasons, and it doesn’t look like anyone is offended by it.
At most gatherings, they treat Albert and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg as equal to reigning monarch. As Albert has been in his position longer than Felipe, I’d think the Spaniards would be considered lower rank. That might be friendly convention for things like weddings vs official visits.
It isn’t only your role/title or HRH vs SH that determines rank, but how long you’ve been in that role. Billy the basher ranks below several younger heirs to thrones, because QEII lived so long. Those heirs were at the same level as Charles until QEII passed.
IDK if Monaco gives Charlene that much guidance. She wore white to meet the pope, big scandal in royal watching circles the first time it happened.
Vatican stated after, oh of course she has the privilege du blanc (right to wear all white when meeting the pope). Iirc Grace didn’t have that privilege. It may have been an accident on Monaco’s part and the Vatican smoothed it over.
No, the privilege du blanc has been extended to the Princess of Monaco. She was correctly wearing white.
Women from certain royal Roman Catholic families get the privilege to wear white when meeting the pope. Albert is a reigning Catholic prince and Charlene is his wife and they were married in a religious Catholic ceremony after the civil one hence she was allowed the privilege of wearing white. The Vatican has relaxed the rules in regard to the “privilege du blanc”
Princess Charlene looks healthier but, sadly, she seems to have lost the sparkle she had in her eyes.. 😞😞
She is South African isnt she ? There is a custom in lots of African countries to give a slight cursty to anyone older or of a certain respectability. Its just reflex.
The reason for the curtsy is that the Spanish King and Queen are of higher rank. Spain is a Monarchy and Monaco is a Principality. The Spanish King and Queen are of Majesty status which ranks higher than a Prince and Princess. There are photos of Princess Anne greeting the King and Queen of Spain with deep curtseys.