Selfies with Charlotte

[TheRealGossipGirl]

This morning, I came across a video on TikTok from Sandringham this weekend where Princess Charlotte was asked for a selfie by a woman in the crowd, and she agreed. Then, another woman asked for one, and Charlotte did the same.

I find it so strange that a 9-year-old girl is being asked for selfies by fully grown adults. I get that she’s royal, and for some people, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see her in person, but still, it feels a bit odd, right? What do you think?

I'm surprised neither parent stepped in to say no very politely.

I thought exactly the same. She is a child, very weird to be asking her for selfies even if she is a princess.

I hope as they get older the kids put their feet down. Maybe in a few years time someone will ask Charlotte for a selfie and get a reply of “no, bugger off”. 😆

Yes, but the bizarrely deluded British public will then decide that she’s ‘charmingly down to earth’ and ‘no-nonsense’, like her great-aunt Anne, and dub her a national treasure.

They are conditioning them to expect this kind of behaviour from people because it's precisely these type of oddballs who are keeping them on the Throne. Why is Charlotte, a 9 year old girl comfortable with a stranger asking for selfies of her? How do we know she is? I don't think it's happened before. An adult should have intervened and said a polite 'no'. She as a child should not have been put into the position to have to say no to a selfie if she was asked by an adult and she didnt want to do it. Now it's an expectation and it will be more difficult to say no in the future.

Exactly this. It also perpetuates the 'us and them' mentality that was in part Diana's downfall. 'You can't back out now; your face is on the tea-towel'.

The gurning loons at Sandringham might have blubbed into their Chaz and Di tea-cosies had she backed out, but most sane people would have said, good on you, girl.

Unfortunately, en masse the Great British Public become, in the words of Ernest Thesiger 'my dear, the noise! And the PEOPLE!'

The thing is if there weren’t people there cheering and asking for selfies the RF wouldn’t really exist, they have to be celebrities and this is just PR.

They are conditioning them to expect this kind of behaviour from people because it's precisely these type of oddballs who are keeping them on the Throne

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You want your RF to be seen out in public, interacting with the public. The kids are being trained for exactly that goal.

If you want crazy, how about the idiots tourists who take selfies in the middle of the sidewalk, in crosswalks, and in front of subway trains unloading passengers. Much more irrational to me.

Or with dying/dead people!

The food might not be passed on, if there is any risk of tampering. Flowers and toys will be donated.

It's not really a "pap walk" as it pre-dated the emergence of the celebrity-seeking paparazzi buy a decade or two (the idea of a "stolen photo" goes back further, but the celebrity-seeking version that is the usual sense today is from after WW2, where was these walks have been going (on and off) since at least the 1930s.

(Also I'd quibble with the idea that a known event taking place in public should ever be described as a pap walk - that term normally means secretly calling the papa to cover you doing something private and unannounced).

Would you call your teenagers weirdos for wanting to go wait and see their famous singer, actor, actress.etc.. screaming or shouting to get their attention for a signature or a selfie?

They are famous people and therefore there are always people who want to meet you, get their picture taken with you, signatures etc...regardless of how old they are.

If it was a child or teenager asking for a selfie with Charlotte would of called them a weirdo too?

Getting selfie with famous people is something that has been happening for years. It's nothing new.

End of the day if W&K didn't want their children to be doing selfie they would of told them to say no. The responsibility lies with the parents here. Buck stops with them. People can ask whatever they like, sign this, can I get a pic with you etc, it's up to them to decide what's okay and what isn't.

Going to see a singer or a group is entirely different. And yes, if my child wanted to go and see the royal family, I’d think them entirely weird. But I’m pleased to say my kids are republicans.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they hadn’t anticipated the selfie situation as in general people are more respectful of boundaries with children - royal or not.

None of the kids were ever on their own - there was at least one protection officer and one other aide behind them through the whole walk. At one point hunky Major Johnny - who isn’t as hunky without his kilt IMO - was carrying all the things Charlotte and then Kate were given and walking with her as she caught up to the rest of the family.

But I think the selfie and hug requests are not appropriate for the kids - the protection detail should brief the crowds before the walk to remind them - and be prepared to step in if needed.

There were points where all the Wales kids were having fun with the Tindall and Phillips girls and I bet that makes it easier to do the ‘crowd gauntlet’ - they know it’s a few minutes and then all the kids will be able to play together in peace.

No, because the famous singer, actor or actress wouldn't be a 9 year old girl.

No, because the famous singer, actor or actress wouldn't be a 9 year old girl.

Sometimes they absolutely are! Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Hilary Duff, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera for example were all huge stars for Disney before they were teenagers. They appeared on red carpets, had fans, made public appearances etc.

Anyone who wants this with a 9yo is a weirdo, yes.

Their fans were also a similar age. Children getting selfies with other children, and having fans that were other children. Also, arguably some of them shouldn't have been put into that position either, and many child stars are exploited in exactly the same way, by their parents and Disney, and are damaged by it.

Child exploitation. No different to influencer families.

William & Catherine know they have to parade the kids around in front of the fans to maintain their lifestyle.

Really though is there much difference between giving a child a gift ( must be a loony ) or stating on here that you wear dupes of things that Meghan wears? I would actually say the first is more reasonable than trying to cheaply imitate a famous person.

Until v recently, the RF used to have a "no selfies" rule.

I wonder if they'll reinstate it.

How can the be equivalent? One is a person saying ' I like something that famous person is wearing, so I'll buy similar for myself, which is how advertising works, and is one of the things Royalists say is a benefit of the RF that they can wear clothes that others buy, and buying chocolates for children, knowing they will be thrown in the bin, and that your gifts will not be nearly good enough for those kids so will be given away after about 5 minutes?

That's true, but they were young stars, and red carpets, concerts, and public appearances are part of their job and I doubt anyone knew what a selfie was when these celebrities you’ve mentioned were 9 years old.

Charlotte, on the other hand, is a child born into the Royal Family, and one day she will be Princess Royal. But for now, she’s simply the daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

She is already a princess it's royal by blood. Not like her blood will suddenly.chnage at the appropriate age and there thay is when she is a princess. Her role is defined the moment she was born.

Either way they are famous like any other child star. If they weren't famous noone would go see them or want selfies.