Houseparty, Zoom and home offices: How the royals adapted their lives to lockdown

Like the rest of the world, the royal family have not entirely escaped the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Although they have luxurious palaces to lock down in and staff to help set up the Zoom quizzes, they were forced to change how they operated, just like everyone else.

Not only did royals contract the virus - Prince Charles tested positive in late March - but they had to halt physical engagements for months, and rely on technology, as well as moving the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh away from the capital to see out lockdown at Balmoral Castle.

Although they have now returned to a more familiar way of life; Her Majesty is back at Buckingham Palace and William and Kate have made visits to local businesses in east London and Norfolk, the royals may have picked up a few tricks during 2020 that they will retain long term. 

Not least because being able to do the Queen’s birthday Zoom call, rather than meeting in person, is much easier when some of your family now live on the other side of the world.

Clive Alderton, principal private secretary for Prince Charles has explained how the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall embraced the changes presented by lockdown from the onset.

On 25 September, Alderton said: "Their Royal Highnesses adapted literally overnight to a new digital first way of working.”

Alderton said that Charles and Camilla used everything from Zoom to Microsoft Teams, and even House Party. They also moved between using laptops and devices propped up on piles of books and papers - as shown by a picture of Prince Charles’ office shared on Twitter.

Camilla was reportedly a big fan of the video calling app, Houseparty. "The duchess discovered House Party," he told PA. 

She was also pictured taking phone calls with dogs Beth and Bluebell on her lap.

The Queen also got in on the Zoom action - taking part in her first official video conference call alongside her daughter, Princess Anne. In the call the Princess Royal was teaching her mum how to use the software: “Can you see everybody? You should have six people on your screen,” she said.

The Queen also delivered two rare televised addresses to the nation during lockdown and held her weekly audience with the prime minister on the phone, as per a picture shared on Instagram. The image shows the Queen at her corgi-statue covered desk.

For other members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, lockdown was a busy period of normal engagements being moved online.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were some of the most prolific users of online platforms throughout lockdown to continue their high rate of royal commitments, in both solo and joint engagements.

Both were pictured in their at-home offices, complete with antique book collections, marble mantle pieces and printers. Although we noticed they looked slightly more formal than many people when working from home.

Prince William also hosted guests at Kensington Palace to record a podcast on mental health, sharing pictures online of himself serving a curry at the dining table. The parents also recorded videos of their children Clapping for Carers to share on social media.

Like their in-laws, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also made the most of the technology available and were seen regularly on Zoom calls and meetings with charities that they remain patrons of, despite stepping down as senior members of the royal family.

The couple, who moved to a new permanent home in Santa Barbara over the summer, regularly shared videos filmed in what-appeared-to-be their new home and garden. Including one with feminist icon Gloria Steinem. 

In another video, shared as part of the Time 100 list 2020, Meghan and Harry’s dog is seen roaming around in the background, proving lockdown engagements really do allow for a more informal charm than other royal duties.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have already returned to many of their normal duties - visiting a bagel bakery in London’s brick lane in September. As well as a garden centre near their home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.

The Queen herself has also had an in-person engagement with Captain Sir Tom Moore, conducting a socially-distanced knighting at Windsor castle.

The event was the first time the Queen had been photographed in months.

Clarence House has already confirmed that a couple of short foreign visits were being planned and would go ahead if permitted.

For Meghan Markle and Prince Harry their distance might mean that lockdown-style working proves an environmentally friendly long-term solution for meetings and appearances with UK-based charities. 

Although Prince Harry has already said that he would have been back in the UK this year if it were not for the coronavirus pandemic. 

The couple are also seen regularly out and about in Los Angeles: delivering food parcels to those in need, doing school drive-through charity events and supporting the causes that matter to them.

"This is a family that loves being out there, that loves meeting people, that is energised by being out there and meeting people but we're finding that they're also pretty energised by meeting people virtually," the source told PA on Thursday.

People say the royals have to be “seen to be believed” and while technology can replace that short-term, it seems they will want to get back to a new normal as much as possible.