Kate Middleton Poses for Rare Selfies on Latest Outing — Are the Pics Becoming a Royal Trend?
Kate Middleton was ready for her close-up during her first solo engagement of the new year.
The Princess of Wales, 41, visited Foxcubs Nursery in Luton on Wednesday morning, a top-rated childcare and early education center offering free programming. Kate spent time with the adorable attendees (who range in age from 2 to 5) and spoke with teachers about the formative nature of the early years, a key priority of her royal work.
While making her way out of the building, Princess Kate posed for photos with parents waiting to pick up their kids — including two selfies. As seen in a video shared on Twitter by Rebecca English of the Daily Mail, Kate graciously agreed when some moms asked for a snap.
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Aside from rare instances, the royals have traditionally not engaged in photo-taking with well-wishers at public events, but the stance seems to have relaxed in recent months.
Last week, Princess Kate and Prince William both smiled for selfies during their first joint appearance of 2023. After officially opening the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, they took selfies with around 20 hospital staff, volunteers, and visitors.
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"They were so welcoming. They were so warm and friendly," ophthalmic imaging technician Amber Otto, who caught up with the couple and took selfies with both Kate and William, told PEOPLE. "Even when they were being rushed out, they made sure they made time for everybody."
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"The Princess asked me what I did," she added. "They were talking to as many people as possible."
According to the royal family's website, there are no obligatory codes of behavior when greeting members of the royal family. While the site offers guidance on how to bow and curtsy, nothing is said about selfies.
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Princess Kate and Prince William, 40, aren't the only royals to lean into the trend. In September, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took selfies with well-wishers in Düsseldorf, Germany during their visit to the Invictus Games' One Year to Go event.
Though King Charles III hasn't overtly posed for selfie-style photos, he doesn't seem to mind when well-wishers flip their cellphone cameras in his direction, as one fan did during a walkabout in London last year.
