Kate Middleton Breaks Royal Protocol at Latest Outing — but Prince William Isn’t Complaining
On July 2, Kate Middleton visited the RHS Well-being Garden at Colchester Hospital to promote the therapeutic benefits of nature. During the visit, the Princess of Wales planted 50 Catherine’s rose plants, which were donated to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. After getting her hands dirty, she braved the rain to greet fans — and in doing so, broke a major royal protocol. Middleton was seen snapping selfies with her admirers, a gesture that would make Prince William very proud, as it aligns with his vision for a modern and relatable monarchy.
William, as a part of his vision for a modern monarchy, has often broken the 'no selfies' rule, originally upheld by the late Queen Elizabeth. Both the Prince and Princess of Wales have openly embraced the public on numerous occasions, often pausing to take selfies and even occasionally hugging their supporters. According to Hello! magazine, members of the royal family are traditionally discouraged from taking photos with fans to keep the public focus on their engagements and official duties. The late Queen once expressed that she found it 'disconcerting' and 'strange' to be greeted by a sea of phones, considering it poor manners for well-wishers to focus on screens instead of engaging with her directly.
The Prince of Wales has cheekily been dubbed the 'Selfie King' by the media, owing to his more relaxed approach to connecting with Gen Z. Royal expert Emily Ferguson has explained William contemporary approach, telling the Daily Express, "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." The expert believes that William's decision to change the late Queen's 'no selfie' rule is an important attempt to make the royal family relatable. She added, "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."
In the past, William and Middleton were also caught snapping photos with hospital staff in Liverpool in January 2023, clicking selfies with well-wishers in Scarborough in 2022, and warmly responding to selfie requests during engagements in Leeds. As reported by the Telegraph, William once spilled his plans for a modern and empathetic monarchy, telling reporters, "I can only describe what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to do it differently and I'm trying to do it for my generation... to give you more understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like."
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Coming back to Middleton's hospital visit, the Princess of Wales opened up about her painful journey with cancer while speaking to the staff. As reported by People magazine, she said, "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult." She is now in remission after completing her treatment in September 2024.