Kate Middleton causes a storm of excited young fans as she visits a charity that supports fathers

The Princess of Wales delighted fans as she posed for selfies during an outing with a group of fathers in north London on Wednesday.

Kate, 41, took part in a ‘Dad Walk’ as part of her ongoing project ‘Shaping Us’, which focuses on the importance of early childhood.

The mother of three eagerly posed for photos in casual clothing with several children and their parents as she strolled through Arnos Grove.

She was seen crouching down next to a young girl as her proud father captured the moment on his mobile phone. Kate gently hugged the child as they both beamed at the camera.

Meanwhile, another dad who picked up his toddler for a snap with the royals posted it on Instagram with the caption: “My princess meets Princess Kate Middleton.”

The Princess of Wales delighted fans as she posed for selfies during an outing with a group of fathers in north London on Wednesday

Another fan who shared a selfie on social media wrote: “What an amazing morning with the princess!!!”

In the post, he explained how they met in a bar and went to the playground. “It was so lovely to chat with her about fathers’ mental health and the role we play in children’s early development,” he continued.

Earlier that day, the Princess of Wales enjoyed a music session with the children at the Arnos Arms – where she entertained them with maracas.

At one point, the royal was seen kneeling down to hold a teenager’s hand and laughing with a father who was holding his two children in both arms.

Although there is no official protocol for selfies, the royals prohibit autographs, meaning they cannot be sold for large amounts of money.

And in the early days of camera phones, they seemed to shy away from being photographed by members of the public, with Princes William and Harry and King Charles all expressing their distaste for the method.

Kate crouched down next to a young girl as her proud father captured the moment on his mobile phone

A father who picked up his toddler for a snap with the royal posted it on Instagram with the caption: “My princess meets Princess Kate Middleton.”

This dad posted a photo on Instagram and wrote: “What a great morning with the princess!!!”

However, in recent years they have become more commonplace, with Charles posing for his first selfie back in 2014, and other royals from Sophie Wessex to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following suit.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was not a fan of selfies and would politely decline if ever asked to take one as she was believed to prefer eye contact. However, this was more of a personal preference than a rule of any kind.

William has previously joked that he is “allergic to selfies”, while Harry once told a teenage girl that “selfies are bad” and told her to “just take a normal photo” when she demanded one in Australia in 2015.

Recently, however, it appears that some royals have developed a penchant for selfies, perhaps seeing the form of photography as a way to embrace modern times and connect with their fans.

Despite previously admitting he “hates” selfies, the royal was among the first royals spotted for a snap with fans after cheeky scaffolder Sam Wayne took a photo with him in 2014.

Two years later, the same builder from Redruth made Kate, the then Duchess of Cambridge, giggle when he took a selfie with them on a tour of a housing estate in Cornwall.

Prince William pushed the trend even further in 2014 when he actually took the photo himself while posing for a snap with a student after she visited the Sandringham estate on Christmas Day.

The Duke ended up photographing himself with 12-year-old schoolgirl Madison Lambe because she was too nervous to press the button on her phone.

Kate beamed as she spoke to the fathers’ group members and their children

She eagerly posed for photos with several children while strolling through Arnos Grove

William seems to have become more and more used to selfies over the years, and the royal family’s hearts melted when he put his tour of Ireland on hold in March 2020 to take a selfie with little Jennifer Malone.

Kate has always seemed comfortable with selfies and went viral in 2014 when she snapped a snap with a teenager in Christchurch before posing with various well-wishers on a walkabout in Sydney.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry embraced the selfie following his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018, as the couple happily posed for several photos with royal supporters during their 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.

It also seems that Queen Consort Camilla has always been fond of the selfie and has posed with various fans over the years.

In June 2016, she proved she’s a good sport by taking a selfie with staff member Biffy Mackay, 27, at the Social Bite cafe in Edinburgh, which feeds, trains and employs members of the homeless community.

Sophie Wessex was also spotted indulging fans who asked for a selfie as she smiled with a group of youngsters while attending the New Forest and Hampshire County Show earlier.

As royal selfies seem to become more commonplace, fans may see the practice as a sign of a more modern monarchy, with King Charles taking the reins.