<p id=”par-1_68″>It’s out with the old and in with the new for the British royal family. Well, sort of. They’re not <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/king-charles-shatters-royal-tradition-ushering-bold-new-era-house-of-windsor.html/”>shaking up the establishment</a> entirely, but they <em>are</em> making a small yet powerful “change” to how they do things. So, what’s different? Royals are ditching traditional ribbon cuttings in favor of social causes. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-william/”>Prince William</a>, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/king-charles/”>King Charles III</a>, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/kate-middleton/”>Kate Middleton</a>, and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/camilla-parker-bowles/”>Queen Camilla</a> all have causes they support. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-royal-family-s-focus-is-now-on-social-causes-not-ribbon-cuttings-nbsp”>The royal family’s focus is now on social causes, not ribbon cuttings </h2>
<p id=”par-2_31″>Speaking on the U.K. Sun’s <a href=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/32019527/subtle-signs-prove-royal-family-ditch-old-traditions/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”><em>Royal Exclusive</em></a> show, royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills discussed how the royal family’s focus on causes has caused a change in priorities and how things are done. </p>
<p id=”par-3_49″>“When we were in South Africa Prince William very clearly made the point [that] he’s going to do royal with a small ‘r,’ and he wants to do stuff that’s going to have impact,” Mills said. “So this year for him, of course, it’s been about homelessness, mental health.” </p>
<p id=”par-4_35″>The Prince of Wales, 42, told reporters during his November 2024 trip to Cape Town, South Africa, for the Earthshot Prize Awards that he wanted to “do it differently” when it comes to royal duties. </p>
<p id=”par-5_69″>He and his fellow senior royals, the Princess of Wales, King Charles, and Queen Camilla, are backing causes instead of the traditional ribbon cuttings. “For Catherine, for the things that she has done, it’s still continued to be about early years and the family,” Mills said. “For Queen Camilla, it’s been about domestic violence. And for the King, he spent his birthday <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/king-charles-spending-birthday-most-on-brand-way.html/”>talking about food waste</a> and food poverty.” </p>
<p id=”par-6_29″>“For me, I just see this as a really interesting step change almost for the Royal Family,” she explained, noting the monarchy is seemingly “more socially engaged than ever.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-william-s-embracing-a-less-formal-way-of-doing-things”>William’s embracing a less formal way of doing things </h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image aligncenter size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Prince-William-who-is-among-royals-changing-the-Britsh-royal-family-through-social-causes-in-2024.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Prince William, who is among royals changing the Britsh royal family through social causes, in 2024″ class=”wp-image-3748681″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Prince William | Victoria Jones – Pool/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-7_55″>According to royal commentator Daisy McAndrew, the subtle shift is a way of modernizing the royal family. William, she told <a href=”https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/prince-william-smaller-r-royal-modernize-monarchy-explained-rcna179551″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>NBC News,</a> “will be all too aware of how dangerous it is for the royal family to be seen to be out of touch or aloof and hence the emphasis on empathy and emotional intelligence.” </p>
<p id=”par-8_65″>It doesn’t stop at causes, carrying over into what they wear. “Being out of touch also extends to actions as well as words and even to what clothes the royals wear,” McAndrew continued. “Dressing down ticks two boxes—less extravagant and more ‘normal.’ But, some members of the public actively want their royals to be as glamorous as possible, so it’s a fine line,” she added. </p>
<p id=”par-9_33″>William’s more <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-williams-more-relaxed-starting-quietly-revolutionize-look.html/”>relaxed way of dressing</a> hasn’t gone unnoticed. His choice of clothing during a November 2024 trip to South Africa—white tennis shoes and an open-necked shirt—led to a debate on social media. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-prince-william-and-kate-middleton-want-to-look-more-relatable-this-christmas”>Prince William and Kate Middleton want to look more relatable this Christmas</h2>
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<p id=”par-10_54″>Shedding the royal family’s ways applies to holidays—at least for William and Kate. They’re expected to join in the royal family’s long-held Christmas traditions, such as walking to church on Dec. 25, 2024, exchanging gag gifts, and having a big meal together. But they’re also tapped to change things up to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-william-kate-middletons-plan-subtly-make-relatable-christmas.html/”>look more relatable</a>. </p>
<p id=”par-11_49″>They are reportedly throwing a Christmas party at their Sandringham home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, England, not to be confused with the big get-together hosted by the monarch. The future king and queen are, as a courtier previously said, adding a touch of “middle class” to their Christmas celebrations. </p>
<p id=”par-12_37″>“A little social media of the family eating chocolate and watching TV would be a very effective way of showing how normal Christmas is at Anmer Hall compared to what we hear about at Sandringham,” they said. </p>