Prince William has taken on one of The King’s most famous jobs and brought it right into the 21st century.

The Prince of Wales led the royal celebrations for a 100th birthday but instead of the well known telegram, he chose to send many happy returns on Instagram.

As Christina Charlton of Forfar reached her century, it was the future king who said a very public ‘Happy Birthday’ with a special post on the official social media channels of Kensington Palace.

However, there was an important reason for this unexpectedly modern take on a royal tradition. William had just visited Christina at a support centre in Forfar and as well as wishing her well, he thanked those helping others there.

Christina Charlton enjoys the support of the Deirdre Knight Centre in Forfar offers daytime activities and care with a focus on stopping loneliness among older people.

As she turned 100, Christina was seen enjoying a party there with a card covered in a photo of her meeting with William.

In his birthday message, the heir to the throne said ”Thank you to the incredible carers and support workers whose compassion and dedication creates such a warm, supportive community at Deidre Knight.”

The tradition of a royal greeting on someone’s 100th birthday goes back to William’s great, great grandfather, King George V, who started sending telegrams over a century ago. Nowadays, the greeting is usually a card and it’s always the Monarch who sends it. The first of King Charles III’s reign went out in October 2022, just weeks after his accession.

The tradition continues today which means Christina Charlton would have received a message from both King Charles and his heir as she turned 100. Whether William’s rather modern take on this custom is an indication of how he plans to carry it forward in his own reign remain to be seen.