Prince Charles Just Inadvertently Broke a Royal Rule—But the Queen Seems OK with It

Published May 20, 2022

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3:55pm

Welp, it looks like Prince Charles is the latest royal to break the queen’s “No Selfie” rule on a recent outing. But it seems he just got a pass from the monarch herself.

This week, Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall traveled to Canada to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. One of the stops on their trip included a visit to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The royal couple met with First Nation leaders and members of the local community.

During the event, two women tried to take a selfie with Charles. It appears the royal was caught off guard but decided to smile for the camera anyway. According to experts, selfies are frowned upon since they’re less personal than a face-to-face interaction and can also be problematic for security reasons. (Think about it: Selfies invite the photo taker to get pretty close.)

And what does Her Majesty think about this? Judging by how the photo was reposted to the royal family’s Instagram account, the queen seems to be ok with the rule break.

In the caption, there was a quote from the Prince of Wales himself, which read: “During this Jubilee visit we have again been reminded of everything that makes Canada so special—not least the vastness and magnificence of the country that you share; the diversity, compassion and inclusivity which you embody. We have once more felt the extraordinary generosity of spirit for which the Northwest Territories—and, indeed, Canada as a whole—are so rightly known throughout the world.”

This is not the first royal to break the “selfie” protocol while on duty. Just last week, Kate Middleton and Prince William met with royal admirers outside of the Wheatley Group in Glasgow. There was a woman who eagerly wanted to take a selfie with the royal couple. And, instead of politely declining, the pair were all smiles as she took the picture. William even placed a hand on her shoulder at one point.

So does this mean change is ahead, Queen Elizabeth?

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Karelle Mckay

Assistant Editor, News And Entertainment

Karelle McKay is the Assistant Editor of News and Entertainment at PureWow. Before she started writing about all things pop culture, she was a literal couch potato who loved...

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