William and Kate hire Harry and Meghan's former social media guru as Cambridges reinvent their presence online
Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton have hired David Watkins, a social media expert who previously worked for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, to take over their digital team.
The 27-year-old social media genius from Dublin moved to the Cambridges' team soon after the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals. Watkins was responsible for crafting Harry and Meghan's ambitious Instagram strategy to have their separate account, and can also be credited for their digital media "wins" in 2019, according to the Irish Independent.
Watkins was most recently pictured with Meghan in January when she was completing her final round of engagements as a senior royal. This was before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their bombshell departure as senior royals.
Watkins was roped in to lead the Cambridges' digital communications team as both William and Kate are relying heavily on social media to conduct their messaging during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. He began working on April 1, just a day after Meghan and Harry officially left their positions.
The Irish digital strategist managed the Sussexes' day-to-day branding during his eight-month stint with them. He was also tasked with leading other partnerships that are aligned with their causes, which included taking over National Geographic.
Watkins' influence is already reflecting on the Cambridges social media strategy since he has moved his work to Kensington Palace. Their posts have a more personal touch and feature lengthier captions. According to the report, he was also behind the viral video of Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte clapping for the NHS last month.
The notable change in how the Cambridges' present themselves online was evident on Wednesday, when they shared a screenshot of a Zoom conference call they had with primary school students from Casterton Primary Academy whose parents are working tirelessly on the NHS frontline.
This comes amid claims that William and Kate might be the ones to take the reigns from Queen Elizabeth II and not Prince Charles.
According to the royal family tree, Prince Charles is next in line to the throne. He would have then eventually been followed by his eldest son, William. However, things have taken a turn for the worse amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Charles tested positive for the novel coronavirus last month which forced him to isolate himself along with his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. He displayed only mild symptoms and was in good health despite the illness.
On the other hand, the Queen was potentially exposed to the virus when a royal aide at Buckingham Palace reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus while the monarch was still at her London residence. The 93-year-old was shifted out of the palace to Windsor Castle to join her husband and both of them went into self-isolation together.
In the absence of the Queen and Prince Charles at the forefront to carry out their royal engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have stepped up to shoulder the responsibility. According to In Touch weekly's April 6, 2020 issue, in light of how ably the duo has been handling the situation, she has made the decision to hand over the crown to William.
“The Queen’s life is on hold – she doesn’t know if or when she’ll be able to return to Buckingham Palace or resume her duties, which is why she’s been forced to rethink her position. It wasn’t an easy decision, but in the end, she knew in her heart it was best if William and Kate took over the reins now,” a source told the entertainment news outlet.