Kate Middleton’s Recent Greeting Of Queen Elizabeth Was Actually Against Royal Protocol

New mom and wife to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, has received a lot of attention in the past year for breaking the so-called royal protocol. The 37-year-old hasn’t held back from showing that she is strong and independent, even in seemingly little ways like closing her own car door. The Duchess of Sussex and her husband, Prince Harry, even strayed from tradition in terms of naming their new baby boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born this past month.

The Duchess of Cambridge, on the other hand, has been known to be a bit more of a traditionalist, making headlines less often overall. However, Kate Middleton did something a little odd when greeting Queen Elizabeth recently that caused some heads to turn, according to Showbiz Cheatsheet.

Few people realize just how major a role tradition plays in the day-to-day lives of the members of the royal family. It affects everything from their fashion choices, the way the present themselves in public, and even the way they greet one another. In the past, Middleton has generally been pretty careful to abide by royal tradition, except for a minor faux pas here and there.

For example, she has spent Christmas at home with her immediate family rather than flying to Sandringham to accompany the rest of the royal bunch. She’s also dressed a bit more casually than her predecessors, and has, on rare occasions, even been seen sporting a pair of pants rather than an elaborate gown.

Middleton was all smiles at the Chelsea Flower Show this past month, an event that is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society and had been held in Chelsea, London since 1912. This year, Middleton held particular pride in the event, as she had personally helped design the lush gardens. When Queen Elizabeth stopped by to see her handiwork, Middleton shocked everyone by bending down to kiss her on both cheeks.

This gesture was surprising to those who know the royal family well, as they do not typically show affection while in the public eye. Nevertheless, the queen seemed unfazed by the display of affection.

On the Kensington Palace Instagram page, the royal family shared some rare picture of the couple and their three young children enjoying the garden. The caption of the post explains just how much this project meant to Middleton.

“Her Royal Highness is a strong advocate for the proven benefits the outdoors has on physical and mental health, and the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development in particular.”