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Since his father King Charles took the throne, Prince William has taken on more responsibility within the Royal Family. Royal commentators have already suggested Queen Elizabeth would “very much approve” of some of the changes William has made. However, what would the late Queen think of Prince William’s decision to totally eliminate her “no selfies” rule?
From taking selfies with crowds of fans—and Taylor Swift—to recording TikTok videos, Prince William has shown himself to be a thoroughly modern member of the Royal Family. The Express’s royal editor, Emily Ferguson, reflected on William’s penchant for taking selfies, explaining, “William appears to be taking a new approach to public engagements. On the first day of his trip [to Estonia without Princess Kate], he fully embraced the crowds and appeared to revel in the dozens of requests for selfies, happily taking people’s phones to take the snap himself.”
Prince William is always ready to snap a selfie. | Credit: Getty Images
Ferguson also noted a marked change in Prince William’s behavior, suggesting he’s become much more comfortable with interacting with members of the general public. “The prince always used to spend time greeting well-wishers but never with the same enthusiasm as his father,” Ferguson explained. “But that’s changed in recent months, William is spending longer and longer on walkabouts and is more than happy to pose for endless pictures.”
The Express’s royal editor subsequently dubbed the Prince of Wales “the newly crowned ‘selfie King.'” She continued, “His readiness to appear in snaps and share selfie-style video messages to his social media platforms shows the prince is embracing the new TikTok generation who prefer visual storytelling.”
Prince William’s selfie with Taylor Swift went viral. | Credit: Instagram: @princeandprincessofwales
Ultimately, Ferguson believes that William’s decision to destroy the late Queen Elizabeth’s “no selfies” rule is an important attempt to make the Royal Family more relatable. “William knows all too well that there is a sharp generational divide in support for the monarchy, with young people much less inclined to support it,” she explained. “Sources have made no secret of the future king’s desire to win over Gen-Z and even younger people, and perhaps his newfound love of selfies is his attempt to do just that.”