Royals on social media

It seems like ages but suddenly the royals are back. A wave of engagements in the last ten days or so has seen some ruling houses back in action and their social media accounts beginning to sparkle and shine once more. We've had water, words of wisdom and white trouser suits - a sunny mix to show just how the royals want to tell their story as the summer of 2015 enters its final phase. Here's the royal week on social media.

Rather refreshing

Last time Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden appeared in public brandishing water, she announced she was pregnant a few days later. And after all those rumours this summer when pics of her on holiday with a slightly rounder tummy appeared you might be forgiven for rushing off to start knitting after seeing the images of the future queen waving a bottle of H2O in the air this week. It was actually part of a pilgrimage for the environment and the flask of water was actually a baton being passed from Crown Princess Mette-Marit to Crown Princess Victoria as the walk reached Sweden. Images of the event were shared on the Norwegian Royal Family Facebook page and the Swedish Royal Family Instagram account - and everyone was still looking at Victoria's tummy.

Mette-Marit was in a watery mood herself this week when she posted a thank you for birthday wishes on her personal Twitter account. The princess put up a rather modern photo with her message of thanks on the big day itself, August 19th, when she turned 42.

Tusen takk for alle fine gratulasjoner 🎈🎈🎈 pic.twitter.com/dM7efoMOyZ

— HRH Mette-Marit (@CrownPrincessMM) August 19, 2015

Meanwhile, her mother in law was at the finals of the music competition which bears her name. Queen Sonja spent quite a lot of time this week listening to the shortlisted stars and meeting some of them. One of her encounters took place with a rather pretty lake view in the background and the queen in a rather striking white suit.

Words of wisdom

With just days to go until the moment Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history, the sense of anticipation is growing. And this week, the Duke of Cambridge wrote the forward in a book paying tribute to his grandmother. His words of wisdom come in Elizabeth II: The Steadfast by Lord Hurd and snippets were shared on the official Kensington Palace Twitter account.

The Duke of Cambridge writes: "I am privileged to have The Queen as a model for a life of service to the public." pic.twitter.com/kLozuXIMtu

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) August 22, 2015

Meanwhile, the official Clarence House Twitter and Instagram accounts continued to pay tribute to those who took part in VJ Day by sharing more images and memories of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's time with them on the 70th anniversary earlier this month. There was a special #TBT featuring footage of Camilla dancing with a veteran shared on both accounts.

#TBT to #VJDay commemorations and The Duchess of Cornwall dancing with 94 year-old Royal Navy veteran Jim Booth: pic.twitter.com/GUD1tsjdAV

— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) August 20, 2015

Room with a view

Throughout the summer, with less news to share, many of the official royal accounts have taken to adding images of their palaces, grounds and gardens. In this modern media age, everyone else is doing it so why not them? Kensington Palace may just have veered into the holiday snaps no one else wants to see territory this week with their photo of a parakeet in a tree in the royal grounds. Yep, a bird flying and sitting on a branch. It is summer, we'll let them off. 

The Swedish Royal Family added a very horsey photo to its official Instagram account in the week to remind everyone just how popular the changing of the guard ceremony is. The image itself was rather impressive.

But the most history laden view shared on social media by the royals this week came in a photo from the windows of Buckingham Palace. The official British Monarchy Instagram account added a photo of part of the Victoria Memorial which for decades has stood outside this most famous of royal residences as a tribute to the monarch who reigned longer than any other. But in this image, the skies are grey and the shadows are falling - Victoria's place in history is changing. This is a photo of a monument that will soon commemorate the second longest reigning monarch in British history. This modern media has, in a way, announced the end of a very famous piece of history and the start of another legendary chapter in royal annals.