Kate Middleton's kind compromise after turning down request says so much about her royal priorities

Whenever the Princess of Wales goes anywhere it’s not unusual for fans to line up, hoping to catch a glimpse of her and possibly even get a special photo. Kate is usually more than happy to oblige, with reports claiming that she and William made time to interact with the public in Scotland earlier this year despite running late.

So it was probably with a lot of sadness that the Princess was forced to decline a request from one fan in Wales on 26th February. She and Prince William were visiting ahead of St David’s Day and in a video shared online, she’s seen being asked for an autograph by someone in the crowd.

"I can’t sign things, I’m so sorry," Kate told him, referring to a sensible royal protocol. Despite meeting thousands of people every year, it’s understood that the Royal Family aren’t supposed to sign anything due to the security risk if their signatures are forged.

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However, in a move that speaks volumes about her generosity and kindness, the Princess of Wales didn’t let the fan in Wales walk away completely empty handed. He might not have got her signature, but she’s said to have told him, "I can shake your hand, though".

The two of them then shared a handshake that turned into a brief hug before she moved on to greet other people waiting. Kate’s kind compromise isn’t the first time she’s been determined not to leave a fan disappointed after turning down a signature.

When she attended the Chelsea Flower Show’s first ever Children’s Picnic in 2023, the Princess politely declined requests from some of the children. They asked her to sign their sketches and she explained, "I’m not allowed to write my signature, it’s just one of those rules", but shared "I can draw".

Kate went on to do some drawings for them in place of an autograph and that actually sounds even more special and unique. The only time we really see the Princess of Wales’s signature in her own handwriting is when she signs visitors’ books during engagements.

Whenever she has to turn down a signature for a fan it seems like she goes out of her way to make up for it in some way, showing that it is very much due to security precautions and not a lack of willingness. In recent years both the Prince and Princess of Wales have been taking a noticeably more personal approach to royal walkabouts and visits.

It’s no longer unusual to see the couple stopping to appear in selfies with people, though it used to be rare and not something the late Queen Elizabeth did. It’s yet another indication of William and Kate’s determination to bring their own modern flair to the monarchy.

Looking back, the signs were there all along that the Waleses were eager to put their own spin on royal life. Not only was Prince William allegedly the "driving force" behind a key royal rule change before their marriage, but the couple’s wedding details were announced on X.

"It was a huge break in tradition for the palace and one that caught the world’s attention," writes royal expert Russell Myers in William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story. "William and Catherine had been fully behind the idea, suggesting it was a way of delivering details to the public with speed and ease."