How the Royal Family have embraced selfies over the years

The royal family are certainly used to life in front of the camera, being snapped thousands of times a year, and now they’re embracing yet more photo opportunities as they get on board with selfies. 

Yesterday, as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed their first day in Jamaica on their royal tour, they happily posed with the Jamaican bobsleigh team. 

There’s no official protocol on selfies, but 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 Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles all voicing their dislike of the method. 

However, in recent years, they’ve become commonplace, with Prince 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 Duchess of Cornwall had selfie taken with employee Biffy Mackay (right), during a visit to Social Bite, a cafe in Edinburgh 2016 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posed for a selfie during a walkabout at the National War Memorial in Wellington in 2018

Prince Charles 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 on a visit to Stroud 

The Queen known not to like them because she prefers eye contact – and will politely decline when asked.    

William, 39, has previously joked that he is ‘allergic to selfies’ while Prince Harry, 37, 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 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, Prince Charles 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. 

Sophie Wessex has also been spotted indulging fans who asked for a selfie when she smiled with a group of youngsters while attending the New Forest and Hampshire County Show in 2016

Meghan Markle met Max Henry, 10, during a walkabout at Viaduct Harbour in Auckland, on day three of the royal couple’s tour of New Zealand in 2018

Prince William took the picture himself while posing for a snap with  schoolgirl Madison Lambe, 12, after she visited the Sandringham Estate on Christmas Day in 2014 

Two years later the same construction worker, from Redruth, reduced 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 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 while to stop for a selfie with little girl Jennifer Malone in March 2020. 

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 while 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

It seems that the Duchess of Cornwall has always been on board with the selfie, having posed with various fans over the years. She is pictured having her picture taken with family of members of the armed forces in 2016 

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 recent 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.

Harry made headlines around the world when he stepped up to take a photo of his pregnant wife with one schoolgirl who looked strikingly like she did as a child. 

It seems that the Duchess of Cornwall 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 cafe in Edinburgh, which feeds, trains and employs members of the homeless community.  

Camilla has  a selfie taken with family of members of the armed forces as she visits the Poppy Pod Village at the Tile Barn Outdoor Centre in 2016 

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie take a selfie at a Commonwealth reception during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2019 

An officer of the Saudi Arabia Navy takes a selfie with the Prince of Wales, Admiral of the Fleet last year 

Zara and Mike Tindall take a selfie together on day one of Cheltenham Festival earlier this month 

A month later the royal was first seen beaming with a young woman as she joined families at the Poppy Pod Village which provides camping facilities to provide some respite for members of the Armed Forces.

In 2017, Camilla was spotted again happily posing with fans as she visited the Sandringham Flower Show in the grounds of Sandringham House.  

Sophie Wessex has also been spotted indulging fans who asked for a selfie when she smiled with a group of youngsters while attending the New Forest and Hampshire County Show.  

Less senior members of the royal family including Zara Tindall and Princess Beatrice  have all been seen snapping selfies in the past.