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

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the official opening of the Glade of Light Memorial at Manchester Cathedral
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

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.

Despite the formalities and traditions surrounding members of The Firm, 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 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 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 in honour of Emma Raducanu 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 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

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. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton could be seen to have hinted at a big change ahead of meeting members of the public in Scotland

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.

Emma Shacklock
Senior Lifestyle Writer

Emma is a Senior Lifestyle Writer with six years of experience working in digital publishing, ranging from book publishing to magazines. She currently looks after all things Lifestyle for Woman&Home, Goodto.com, and My Imperfect Life.