• Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their kids joined the rest of the royal family for their annual walk to church on Christmas day.
  • Princess Charlotte unexpectedly took selfies with fans lined up to watch the royals.
  • Royal protocol has previously forbidden the royals from taking selfies.

The royal family stepped out for their annual Christmas walk to church, and things were slightly different this year. By which we mean Princess Charlotte did her own thing, chatting with royal watchers, accepting gifts, and even taking selfies. Which, up until recently, was decidedly against "royal protocol."

Charlotte was filmed taking pictures with fans, and Prince William's reaction was even caught on camera. The future king didn't seem upset by his daughter taking pics, simply calling out "Charlotte" when she fell behind, to which she replied "coming!"

There's been a lot of reporting on royal selfie rules over the years. In 2017, Greg Agnew told Insider (after attending the queen's garden party,) "The one thing they talked about a lot was no selfies, and the reason was that they didn't want people turning their backs to the Royal Family and the Queen. And that was very important to them,. You do not turn your back on the Royal Family, and you do not attempt to walk up and talk to them."

Royal expert Victoria Arbiter also told to Insider "Royals would always rather have a personal interaction than have people clamoring for selfies. If you grant one, then it quickly becomes overwhelming. From a security standpoint, they’re also not ideal as they warrant a certain closeness."

FWIW, Kate and William have taken selfies with fans in the past, so clearly the rules are changing!