How Prince William and Kate Middleton have been 'hinting' for months at this major royal change

Prince William and Kate Middleton could be seen to have hinted for months at a royal change as it’s claimed they’re taking a more modern approach.

• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been signing off their social media posts with their initials in recent months. 
• Now it’s claimed that they’re hoping to be known by their first names at royal engagements as they’ve taken a more personal approach. 
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes as we revealed Prince Harry’s fears for ‘innocent’ Archie and Lilibet over ‘online hatred’ (opens in new tab).

Despite the formalities and traditions surrounding members of The Firm, (opens in new tab) the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been observed taking a slightly more casual approach to their social media presence in recent months. It could perhaps be seen that Prince William and Kate hinted at a wider royal change in this way, as often their posts won’t contain any kind of sign-off. But when it comes to personal matters or those particularly close to their heart, the future King and Queen Consort (opens in new tab) have been more regularly using 'W' and 'C' for William and Catherine. 

Earlier this year Kate took to Twitter to express her gratitude for all the wonderful messages for her 40th birthday, signing off ‘C’ to let fans know that she was behind the Tweet. 

Meanwhile, when William condemned racist abuse (opens in new tab) of footballers in 2021 he signed off ‘W’ to personally reinforce his important message. The Duchess also used the more casual “C” when sharing a sweet message (opens in new tab) in honour of Emma Raducanu (opens in new tab) reaching the US Open final last July. And her husband once again signed off “W” when he congratulated Liverpool FC on becoming 2022 Men’s FA Cup champions earlier this month. 

The Duke and Duchess have never addressed the use of their initials and how these have been spotted more frequently in recent months. However, their choice could be seen as particularly significant as it’s said William and Kate could have a big name change (opens in new tab) going forwards.

Reports have alleged that the couple are hoping to be known more informally as William and Catherine at royal engagements, whilst keeping their HRH titles. 

“They want to be more approachable, less formal, less stuffy and breakaway with a lot of the tradition,” a royal source claimed to The Mirror (opens in new tab). 

Whether or not this is actually a specific decision, both William and Kate have been observed straying from royal protocols at recent engagements.

During their visit to Glasgow, the future King was pictured hugging an elderly man in a heart-warming moment whilst the Duchess helped a student solve his tricky crossword puzzle. 

The couple also posed for selfies with eager fans, though it’s understood that traditionally royals will say no or attempt to avoid being part in selfies at all.

This shift to being more personal could be seen to have been hinted at in their initial ‘C’ and ‘W’ sign-offs on social media and carried through to their recent engagements. 

Either way, it's a lovely touch to showcase the Duke and Duchess' involvement in specific posts despite their immensely busy schedules.