Prince William Breaks Same Royal Rule Wife Kate Middleton Broke Last Year

If I ever have the privilege of meeting Prince William one day, I will probably (scratch that, definitely ) request a selfie.

See, I've concluded that my chances of getting turned down are slim, because I've made an interesting observation. As of late, it appears the 42-year-old royal has been taking selfies with fans left and right, although the royal family is encouraged to follow the unwritten “no selfie” rule . First, he broke royal protocol by snapping selfies with a well-wisher while visiting Fistral Beach. Then, he took photos with a few royal supporters at a youth tournament at St George's Park. And more recently, the Prince of Wales was spotted posing for selfies not once, but at least four times. Allow me to present the evidence.

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Here, during his visit to Parc y Scarlets —the home of the Scarlets Rugby Union team—we see the prince smiling as he poses with a fan for a photograph.

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Once again, William is all smiles as he poses for a group selfie and engages with a few of the local residents.

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Here, he continues to interact with fans while posing for yet another selfie.

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And finally, the prince is practically beaming as he poses alongside another fan.

Given how often the royals have broken this royal rule, you're probably wondering why it's discouraged amongst the royal family. As it turns out, the common gesture is frowned upon because it was once considered disrespectful.

Greg Agnew, a royal fan who attended Queen Elizabeth's garden party in 2017, explained to Insider , "The one thing they talked about a lot was no selfies, and the reason was that they didn't want people turning their backs to the royal family and the queen. And that was very important to them. You do not turn your back on the royal family, and you do not attempt to walk up and talk to them."

Even Meghan Markle once strictly followed protocol by turning down selfies. Royal journalist Victoria Murphy said in a 2017 tweet , “Meghan is learning the royal ropes already, telling one couple who asked for a selfie in Nottingham today: ‘We’re not allowed to do selfies.’”

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Fortunately, judging by Prince William's recent engagements, it seems like this rule is no longer strictly enforced. And it's worth mentioning that his wife, Kate Middleton, has broken the same rule on a few occasions—like when she visited Streets of Growth in 2023.

Well, excuse me while I add "royal selfie" to my bucket list.

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