The royal family is famous for following strict guidelines. But, Queen Camilla, who is 77 years old, was seen breaking one of these rules while touring Australia and Samoa with King Charles.
On October 20, 2024, while at St. Thomas’s Anglican Church in Sydney, the Queen Consort took selfies with people in the crowd—a move that surprised many. There aren’t any strict rules when meeting a royal family member; however, tradition still matters. Men usually bow their heads slightly and women might do a small curtsy. Some people choose to shake hands.
Selfies aren’t officially banned but have been discouraged by the royal family for a long time. “Royals would always prefer personal interactions instead of having fans asking for selfies.” says CCN Royal Commentator Victoria Arbiter.
Victoria also mentioned that allowing selfie requests can lead to chaos: “If you say yes to one person it quickly gets out of hand,” she pointed out.
Safety issues are also important because getting close enough for a selfie can be risky.
Still, there isn’t a strict rule against taking selfies. Royals often deal with each situation as it happens. There are exceptions though—like when a sick child asks for one during hospital visits.
During public events where royals meet large crowds they typically avoid selfies to keep things running smoothly. However, Queen Camilla chose to take selfies on her recent trip to Australia which wasn’t just random; it showed how some royals are starting to accept modern fan interactions more openly.
Camilla isn’t alone in bending the rules either! Back in March 2024 during an official event Prince William stopped to snap a selfie with someone who was excited about meeting him.
This moment was caught on video and shared by royal correspondent Richard Palmer on X (formerly Twitter). His post highlighted how attitudes towards selfies have changed over time:
“When selfies first became popular members of the Royal Family disliked them,” he wrote “The late Queen got tired of mobile phones interrupting her meetings with people too! But now William and others welcome them.” He shared this while showing William posing for a selfie with Leigh Stinchcombe who is 33 years old in Sheffield.”
In June Prince William was back at it again! During Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop in London he took another selfie—this time with his kids alongside Taylor and her boyfriend NFL star Travis Kelce!
Just like Prince William’s recent moments capturing photos with fans Queen Camilla’s actions during their six-day tour show how the royal family is changing its approach towards modern public interactions too! This visit marked their first trip back since Charles became king!
