Kate Middleton Is The Latest Royal To Use Royal Family's ‘Soft Power,’ Historian Says

Kate Middleton is the latest royal to use the royal family's "soft power."

The Duchess of Cambridge is a self-proclaimed amateur photographer. Her talent is visible in the various photos of her children that she personally captures.

It has become a tradition for Middleton to release personal photos of her kids to mark their milestones like their first day of school and birthdays. In April, she released a new photo of Prince Louis for his second birthday. Prince William’s wife did the same to mark Princess Charlotte’s fifth birthday.

According to royal historian Lucy Worsley, photographs are the royal family’s “very own superpower.” She even shared how photographs have been an important weapon for the royal family.

“For 200 years the British monarchy has used photography,” she said in the new BBC documentary “Lucy Worsley's Royal Photo Album.”

“From creating a new sovereign to affairs of the heart, majestic moments to everyday life, when monarchy wants to send a message it uses a photograph.”

She added that Middleton is the latest royal to use this technique which is part of their “soft power.” Prior to Middleton, Princess Diana, Princess Margaret, Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth II have all used photographs to send a message to the world.

“You would think that the weapons of a king and queen were perhaps their armies or centuries of tradition but what they have is the power of the media. The visual is almost more important than words because they don't have that many opportunities to speak,” Worsley added.

“So, they have become very adept at using photo opportunities: dressing, body language, who they are photographed with — all that sort of thing — to express their influence. Because they don't have power, but they do have influence.”

Royal photographer Samir Hussein praised Middleton’s photography skills. According to him, the duchess is getting better with the craft. The professional photographer particularly liked Prince Louis’ photo that Middleton released on his birthday.

“You can see from the pictures she takes that she’s better, certainly better than your average person on the streets. She’s got a good eye, and she’s a good photographer. I’m impressed by her pictures, absolutely,” Hussein said.

Meanwhile, Middleton has started a new project called “Hold Still.” The project aims to capture a portrait of the nation amid the pandemic. It will be a collection of photos showing the people’s desperateness, sadness, resilience, bravery and kindness amid the COVID-19 battle.

Princess Eugenie praised Middleton's new project. She also encouraged the people to participate by submitting their photos.