The Prince and Princess of Wales have changed their approach to social media for an important reason

The Wales family has been front and centre this month, with the Princess of Wales returning to public duty last weekend after a six month absence.

The 42-year-old has been recovering privately with her family in Windsor this year after confirming her cancer diagnosis in March, asking for "time, space and privacy" while she completes her treatment.

Last week, the Princess of Wales posted a personal message to Instagram, informing the public of her medical progress and confirming her attendance at some events this summer.

Princess Kate has been praised for her personal update, with fans appearing to favour the more informal and relatable approach. And in the week since, the Prince and Princess of Wales appear to have continued with this fresh social media strategy.

The royals posted a personal message to Prince William on Father's Day, uploading a holiday snap of the Prince of Wales and their three children, captioned: "We love you, Papa."

And more recently, to mark Prince William's 42nd birthday, the royals opted against posting a formal photograph of the future King, releasing a joyous family beach photograph taken by Princess Kate instead.

"This should absolutely break the internet!!," one fan commented on the post that raked in over 1.7 million likes. "Quite possibly the best royal family picture ever."

Then, of course, the next day the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a photograph that actually did break the internet - a snap of Prince William, George and Charlotte taking a selfie with Taylor Swift backstage at the Eras tour.

The change in the royals' social media approach has proven to be very popular, with the last post raking in over 2.5 million likes already, and commenters praising the Prince and Princess of Wales for their relatability.

This, according to royal experts, is no coincidence, with the Mountbatten-Windsors, and particularly the Prince and Princess of Wales, modernising their approach to social media.

"Essentially, William and Kate’s former regimen of stiff posed pictures, have been supplanted by something far more subversive and quietly radical," royal expert Daniele Elser explained of their change in approach years ago. "Don’t be fooled. This isn’t an accident or some clumsy, grasping ploy to appeal to a more youthful demographic.

"William and Kate’s social media transformation is emblematic of a far more significant intellectual shift in their journey towards the throne. Basically, this is them positioning themselves to rule - and rule in a way that will change the crown forever."

We will continue to update this story.