Daily Times

The Prince and Princess of Wales showed off their easy charm with the public as they posed for selfies in Soho this afternoon.

The royal couple were all smiles as they posed up a storm with well-wishers outside the Dog and Duck pub in central London. Kate, 41, leaned into the frame for a candid relaxed snap with one fan – who had an incredibly similar version of the Princess’ sapphire engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana.

The purple-haired fan beamed as she showed the Princess her ring and held her hand up in the photo. While engaging with members of the public, Kate said their eldest child Prince George was ‘excited’ about the upcoming coronation and had been taking part in rehearsals.

When asked if George was ‘excited’ to be a Page of Honour at his grandfather’s Coronation, the Princess replied: ‘He is actually. Having done a few rehearsals, I think everyone is a bit more relaxed.’ Meanwhile William, 40, also enjoyed some photos and made easy banter with the crowd as he quipped the family has a ‘quiet weekend’ ahead with ‘nothing at all’ planned. Onlookers laughed as the prince waved the question off in jest while accepting some flowers.

King Charles’s son also told supporters that he’s ‘praying for good weather’ with the coronation just days away. The pair were also seen holding hands with people in the crowd as they chatted with excited bystanders looking forward to this weekend’s festivities.

The couple made the trip to the Dog and Duck pub in Soho to pull pints and chat to hospitality staff ahead of the Coronation. Kate’s naturally effortless indulgence of fans asking for selfies signals yet another move towards a more personable approach at royal engagements. The prince and princess showed their natural rapport with members of the public at Royal Liverpool University Hospital earlier this year – shortly after Prince Harry’s scathing memoir Spare was released – as they posed for photos on fans’ personal phones. Although there is no official protocol on selfies, the royals have a rule against signing autographs, so that they can’t be sold for large amounts of money.

And in the early days of camera phones, they seemed to shy away from being snapped with members of the public with Princes William and Harry and King Charles all voicing their dislike of the method. However, in recent years, they’ve become commonplace, with Charles posing for his first selfie all the way back in 2014 and other royals from Sophie Wessex to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following suit. The late Queen Elizabeth II was not a fan of selfies and would politely decline if ever asked to take one, as she was thought to prefer eye contact. However, this was more of a personal preference than a rule of any kind.

William has previously joked that he is ‘allergic to selfies’ while Harry once told a teenager that ‘selfies are bad’ and told her to ‘just take a normal photograph’ when she requested one in Australia in 2015. However, in recent times it appears some royals have grown fonder of the selfie, perhaps viewing the form of photography as way of embracing modern times and connecting with fans. Despite previously admitting he ‘hates’ selfies, the King was among the first royals to be seen stopping for a snap with fans after cheeky scaffolder Sam Wayne took a picture with him in 2014. Two years later the same construction worker, from Redruth, reduced, Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, to fits of giggles as he snapped a selfie with them on a tour of a housing development in Cornwall.

Prince William pushed the trend further in 2014 when he actually took the picture himself while posing for a snap with a schoolgirl after she visited the Sandringham Estate on Christmas Day.

The then-Duke ended up photographing himself with the schoolgirl, Madison Lambe, 12, because she was too nervous to press the button on her phone. William seems to have grown more accustomed to the selfie over the years, with the royal melting hearts when he put his tour of Ireland on hold to stop for a selfie with little girl Jennifer Malone in March 2020. Kate has always seemed to be comfortable with the selfie, going viral in 2014 when she took a snap high-fiving a youngster in Christchurch before posing with various well-wishers on a walkabout in Sydney. Meanwhile, Prince Harry welcomed the selfie after marrying Meghan Markle in 2018 when the pair happily posed for several photos with royal supporters during their 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. It also seems that Queen Consort Camilla has always been on board with the selfie, having posed with various fans over the years. In June 2016, she proved she’s a good sport by snapping a selfie with staff member Biffy Mackay, 27, at the Social Bite café in Edinburgh, which feeds, trains and employs members of the homeless community. Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh has also been spotted indulging fans who asked for a selfie when she smiled with a group of youngsters while previously attending the New Forest and Hampshire County Show.

As royal selfies appear to become more commonplace, fans may consider the practice a sign of a monarchy that is becoming more modern, as King Charles takes the reins. It comes as William and Kate earlier today hopped on the London Underground as they made their way from Acton Main Line to Tottenham Court Road – where the Soho pub is located – on the Elizabeth Line. Astonished members of the public watched them through the ticket barriers and walk along the platform.

The Prince and Princess wanted to meet and thank Transport for London (TFL) workers who will be working throughout the coronation weekend. Asked about the royal family’s preparations for Saturday, Kate said: ‘Yes, it’s going to be a very busy time. We’re getting there. I still feel like we’re trying to get ducks in a row.’

After being handed their Oyster cards by an aide and welcomed to Acton station by Andy Lord, TFL’s commissioner, the couple met with Carinne Spinola, a train driver and Cameron Finch, a customer service assistant and talked about their career aspirations.