In a rare sighting, Kate Middleton was photographed mid-curtsy with Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday, Jan. 10, a day after the Duchess of Cambridge's 34th birthday. And since royal curtsies are normally done in private, there have been circulating rumors that the British royal matriarch might have forced Prince William's wife to do it in public to command respect.

The much-talked-about public curtsy of Duchess Kate took place when the royal family gathered at Sandringham House for the Gallipoli anniversary services on Sunday. While the Duchess' public curtsy was due to the lack of opportunity for Kate to do it privately, Celeb Dirty Laundry suggested that the Queen might have "intentionally avoided" the Duchess at Sandringham House in order to force a public acknowledgment that Middleton isn't the first lady of the kingdom.

Majesty Magazine managing editor Joe Little, however, explained that though Duchess Kate's public curtsy was rare, it's definitely not unique. He also added that the act signified the first communication between Middleton and the Queen during that day, News.com.au noted.

"It is rare, but it indicates that this was the first time that the Duchess saw the Queen," Little told People. "It would normally happen in private. Although they came from Sandringham House, they obviously hadn't seen each other before Kate and the Middletons and their friends set out on foot."

Despite the common misconception, Little also reiterated that women in the royal family do not curtsy to one another.

"The only woman the women in the family curtsy to in the royal family is the Queen," he added.

During Sunday's event, it was also believed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge initially came from their own home, Anmer Hall, and met up at the Queen's Sandringham estate. The royal couple then went to St. Mary Magdalene Church, where the Duchess, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Saturday, met with the 89-year-old Queen and 94-year-old Prince Philip.

In other news, Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly furious because Duchess Kate's poor parenting skills have been questioned. In another Celeb Dirty Laundry report, photos have emerged showing the Duchess who was said to be publicly scolding a poorly-behaved Prince George.

While some of the said pictures in the most recent cover of the Australian Woman's Day magazine showed George's first preschool day, other candid shots seemed to convey a different story about the Middleton's parenting abilities and the young prince's behavior. And the celebrity gossip site added that the Queen was seething with anger over the issue since George is the future King of England and is in a much higher rank in the royal family than her middle-class mom.