While the Royal Family are big fans of keeping things traditional in many ways, they've also worked hard to stay relevant and move with the times. Now, everybody from The Queen herself (although somehow we doubt she's actually running it), to Prince Charles and Camilla, and Princess Eugenie have their own social media accounts.
But, it seems that particular congratulations are in order for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on that front, as the couple have now hit 13 million followers on Instagram - thus further cementing their popularity amongst the general public and royal enthusiasts.
Comparatively, the official Royal Family account (@theroyalfamily) - which acts as a news source for The Queen, as well as sharing the occasional throwback photo or sending out birthday wishes to family members - has 10.3 million followers. Which is still no mean feat, of course!
Princess Eugenie, who tends to use her account to discuss causes close to her heart, write sweet tributes to her family and share adorable photos of her baby boy, August, has 1.5 million followers. Coincidentally, this is the same number as @clarencehouse, which serves as the go-to for anything Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, related.
Over on Prince William and Kate Middleton's @dukeandduchessofcambridge account (which recently changed its handle from @kensingtonroyal, to be more in-keeping with their newly created YouTube channel), their 13 million eager followers are regularly treated to photos and videos of the couple as they carry out their public duties, as well as more behind-the-scenes personal photos.
One recent shot of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a more casual outfit than we're used to seeing her in (skinny jeans and a white ribbed top), while receiving her first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, netted over a million likes:
Everyone's clicking on...
It's become a much-awaited tradition that each year, the Cambridges share an unseen portrait of each of their children to celebrate their birthday, too. Prince George, their eldest, is set to turn eight tomorrow and many are already looking forward to (hopefully) seeing a new image of the future King.
The couple also regularly post tributes to other family members on significant occasions, such as Father's Day or following a birth announcement. Most recently, after Prince Harry (William's brother) and his wife, Meghan Markle, welcomed their daughter Lilibet into the world, the Cambridge's official account shared a black and white photo of the couple with the caption: "We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie." It garnered over a million likes and more than 13,000 comments.
Congratulations to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, on surpassing 13 million followers - we look forward to seeing what you share next!
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
