For most British citizens, and for royal fans around the world, the only glimpse of royal life is through the lens of a camera. [According to Claudia Acott Williams, curator of Kensington Palace, it is far from accidental, and the royal family consciously utilizes photography to construct its public image.

"In a constitutional monarchy, I think the photographic method is the most important tool," Williams tells Marie Claire. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch has no political power, but he or she does have symbolic power." In a soft power situation, the monarch reigns rather than governs. The monarch is the symbol of the state, and for that reason he or she needs to be eye-catching. [In the 19th and early 20th centuries, when monarchies throughout Europe were declining and beginning to crumble, photography forged a really important bond between monarchies and their subjects. between monarchy and subjects.

That is why the medium of photography made so much sense to illustrate the history of the royal family over the past two centuries as part of the new exhibition "Life Through a Royal Lens" at Kensington Palace.

For Williams, who curated the exhibition, the Duchess of Cambridge is a remarkable example of a royal family using photography to make the royal image more accessible.

"We saw her," says Williams, "as in a sense a link between Queen Victoria and the present day. They both used the tool, as you and I would, not only to document their growing families, but also as a way to share their family photos with the world"

. [It was a very important part of the royal branding, and I think the image of the family, the image of a strong and stable family in solidarity with the state, was historically an important part of creating the image of the royal family, historically to show that the family lineage was continuing well.

"We watch our children grow up through photographs and become emotionally invested in their lives, in their development, in their very relatable milestones.

For curators, the fact that anyone can take a photo of their family and share it on social media is part of the reason why this is a successful PR strategy used by the royal family.

"It's kind of a royal tradition, and in most families it's also a family tradition," she says. Most parents have or would have had huge albums, but now they have millions of photos of their children on their iPhones"

. [But the difference is ...... No, it's like it's a difference, or not: ...... We choose what we share on Instagram and Facebook today, consider it carefully, and think about what we want it to say about us and our families. They are doing it on a macro scale and to a larger audience. But I think it's a very intimate process." [25] [26] "Obviously, these pictures take on a new resonance depending on who they were taken by. It was a clever strategy, and her children were probably photographed less than almost any generation before them in terms of what was presented publicly.