‘Careful what you say’: Prince William and Kate launch YouTube channel

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have become YouTubers, launching their own channel on the global video-sharing site with a fast-edited promotional video showing them at work and play.

Their YouTube debut post begins with the couple sitting on a sofa. Prince William jokes with Kate while pointing to the camera and people behind it, saying: “Be careful what you say now because these guys are filming everything.”

“I know,” Kate replies, as the 25-second video – accompanied by a staccato electronic soundtrack – rapidly shows clips of the two of them on engagements, including Kate trying her hand at archery, William flying a helicopter, and the couple on their official visit to Bhutan.

It also shows a laughing Kate shearing sheep during a visit to a Lake District farm, William sitting with Sir David Attenborough to promote the duke’s Earthshot environment prize, and the couple admiring billboards showcasing Kate’s Hold Still photographic project. In one clip, an outtake from this year’s St Patrick’s Day video, Kate tells William: “You don’t need to roll your Rs.”

The future king and queen will continue to feature in exclusive videos posted on the site in the coming months.

The Cambridges already use Twitter and Instagram to promote their work, often posting videos of engagements.

Last week, in celebration of their 10th wedding anniversary, they released a professionally shot video that gave a glimpse into their family life, playing with their children at their Norfolk home, in sand dunes on a nearby beach, and toasting marshmallows round a campfire.

They are not the first royals to turn to YouTube. The Queen launched her own channel on the platform in 2007 to promote the British monarchy. The concept of video-sharing was reportedly explained to her by her granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

In September, Prince Charles launched RE:TV, a content platform for short films with Charles as editor-in-chief that was born out of his Sustainable Markets initiative as a way to “inform and inspire audiences about sustainability”.

While members of the royal family have long used social media, it has been a particularly popular tool during the coronavirus pandemic, with videos of their virtual engagements released on a regular basis.