Prince William Goes Out of His Way to Help Fan Take Selfie — Proving Royal Selfies Are Here to Stay

Prince William is a selfie pro.

On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales, 41, sweet-talked 33-year-old Leigh Stinchcombe as he attended a meeting of the local Homewards Sheffield coalition. Prince William stepped out in Sheffield for his Homewards initiative, visiting one of six UK cities selected to explore innovative solutions to homelessness.

As seen in video split on X of Richard Palmer of Daily Expressprince william and stinchcombe shook hands and a fan appeared to ask the royal family for a photo.

Prince William nodded and held Stinchcombe’s water bottle as he stood, as if to ask, “Take a selfie?” while the well-wisher grabbed his phone. William put his hands on Stinchcombe’s shoulders and pointed to the phone to suggest he “spin around that one”, referring to the iPhone’s camera mode, and smiled for the shot.

Prince William poses for a photo during his visit to Sheffield for his Homewards initiative on March 19, 2024.

Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Kate Middleton had the perfect response to a man who was ‘nervous’ about taking a selfie with her

“What’s your name?” Prince William asked after a photo moment and reached out to shake his hand again. “Have a nice rest of your day, see you later,” he added regally before moving on.

Elsewhere during the visit, the Prince of Wales was game when someone in the small group similarly asked for a photo during a housing workshop.

“Yes, of course,” the royal replied in a short clip he shared on x Kate Mansey from Timewhere William smiled amid the casual picture.

While members of the royal family have historically avoided taking photos with the public at events, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton seem to be relaxing the traditional stance and posing for selfies when people ask for them. The Prince and Princess of Wales set the tone with their first appearance together in 2023 and took selfies with staff, volunteers and visitors following the opening of the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital last January.

“They were so welcoming. They were so warm and friendly,” eye technician Amber Otto, who took selfies with Kate and William, told PEOPLE. “Even when they were being rushed out, they made sure to find time for everything.”

“The princess asked me what I did,” she added. “They talked to as many people as possible.”

Kate Middleton smiles for a selfie in Scarborough on November 3, 2022 Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Kate Middleton sends a subtle message with her hoodie while touring a farm with Prince William

According to the royal family’s website, “there is no mandatory code of conduct when greeting members of the royal family.” While the page explains how to bow and bow, nothing is said about selfies.

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While King Charles and Queen Camilla have yet to fully embrace the selfie trend, family members including Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have posed for pictures at public events.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex smile for a selfie with fans in the stands during the sitting volleyball match between Ukraine and Nigeria at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany in September 2023, while daughters Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson take a well-wishing selfie during the celebrations of the big lunch held during the weekend of the coronation of the King and Queen last May.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice pose for a picture with a well-wisher during the big coronation lunch in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, on May 7, 2023.

Ben Birchall – WPA collection/Getty

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education