Just when it seemed like everything was set in stone, Kensington Palace has made a major announcement that changes the game entirely.
Recently, the Palace revealed new guidelines for the Princess of Wales regarding her public engagements, signaling a shift in royal protocol. Being in the royal spotlight is like walking a tightrope—on one side, there's the admiration of millions, and on the other, the constant scrutiny that turns even the smallest misstep into a headline. Not too long ago, the idea of Princess Catherine openly discussing her own mortality or her inner emotional landscape might have been viewed as absurd. Senior Royals were expected to remain stoic, especially when facing personal challenges like illness, and any overt display of emotion was often seen as overly dramatic.
But it seems those days of suppressing personal struggles are over. As we move into 2025, public vulnerability has become the new standard. The royals are embracing a more open approach to their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle has once again tried to grab attention, but this time, her latest attempt to overshadow Princess Catherine fell flat. To mark Catherine's 43rd birthday, her sister-in-law Meghan has been busy filming for Netflix as she builds a new career with her cooking show. However, it was Prince William who stole the spotlight with a rare and deeply personal gesture.
In a surprising move, Prince William shared an unusually intimate post to celebrate Catherine’s birthday, revealing a painful truth for Meghan. While the details of Catherine's birthday cake remain unreported, one thing is clear: the coverage of her day was unprecedented. Instead of a typical, formal portrait, the Prince of Wales chose to share a candid black-and-white image of his wife, casually dressed. Accompanying the image was a heartfelt message of love, something rarely seen from royals in such a public setting.
For most people, a husband declaring his love for his wife on social media would be unremarkable, but in the context of the royal family, it’s groundbreaking. This is not the behavior we’ve traditionally seen from older royals, and it signals that a new era has begun. William is clearly forging his own path as the future King, unafraid to show his emotions and demonstrate his love for his wife publicly.
This move comes at a time of heightened tension in Montecito, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were recently affected by a devastating wildfire. Thankfully, they are safe, but the tragedy has highlighted the differences between the way the Sussexes and the Wales family handle their public personas.
The royal family has had social media accounts for years, but it wasn't until Meghan Markle arrived in London in 2017 with her unorthodox ideas about sharing emotions online that the family started moving away from formal, stiff portraits. Instead, they began sharing more candid photos and personal messages. Meghan's Instagram success, which garnered 4.3 million followers in its first week, paved the way for this new approach. By the time her account reached 9 million followers, the rest of the royal family had caught on to the power of more personal content.
Today, not just Prince William and Catherine, but also King Charles, have adopted the style of personal posts pioneered by Meghan. It seems the royal family has yet to send a thank-you card for her influence.
Princess Catherine’s birthday post, however, marks the end of an era—the death of the British stiff upper lip. Over the past year, the royal family has released some of the most intimate and expressive social media content in their history. This includes Catherine’s video announcing her cancer diagnosis, her candid statement in June about having good and bad days, and the three-minute video of her at home discussing her illness. These public acts of vulnerability are a stark contrast to the former norms of royal stoicism.
Prince William’s post now positions him as the final member of the royal family to share such a heartfelt message. Last year, the Palace shared a Father's Day post signed by their three children, followed by a birthday tribute to William from Catherine, which included a message that read, "We all love you so much," signed with a "C" and an "X."
It’s clear that the royal family’s approach to public engagement is evolving, embracing a more personal and open connection with the public, and signaling a shift in how the monarchy will navigate the future.
