Queen showcases work of the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra in the wake of Megxit

The Queen continues to use social media to shine a spotlight on the ‘quiet achievers’ within the royal family in the wake of Megxit.

The official royal family Instagram account yesterday shared a rare photo of the Duke of Kent, 84, the Queen’s cousin, carrying out an engagement in Dresden, Germany this week. 

It comes days after she used the account to promote the work of another cousin, Princess Alexandra, 83, following a visit to St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, south London. 

The Royal Family account, which boasts 7.5million followers, shared the post yesterday

It comes days after she used the account to promote the work of another cousin, Princess Alexandra, 83, following a visit to St Christopher’s Hospice in south London, pictured

Princess Alexandra became Royal Patron of St Christopher’s in 1981 and has visited every year since 1982. Last week Her Royal Highness returned to St Christopher’s for a visit, pictured

The Duchess of Gloucester, 73, wife of the Queen’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester, 75, has also been featured in recent weeks.

The Royal Family account, which boasts 7.5million followers, has recently broadened its focus from only the Queen’s immediate family – her children and ‘working’ grandchildren – to include her first cousins and their spouses. 

While these minor royals occasionally appeared on the account last year, they have been featured with greater regularity since the start of 2020. 

Some royal fans have speculated the Queen and her staff are eager to highlight the under-the-radar responsibilities of lesser-known, working royals like her cousins in light of the departure of three senior royals: Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex. 

The Royal Family account, pictured, typically posts about senior royals, namely Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, the Cambridges and the Sussexes. Pictured, a screenshot of the nine most recent posts

The new approach has been praised by followers, with one commenting: ‘It’s so nice to see the lesser known royals getting shown more on this feed. They do amazing duties/engagements, it’s fab to see their work.’

Another wrote: ‘I love reading about The Quite Achievers Royals they work hard.’ 

The Duchess of Gloucester’s valuable, under-the-radar work was also praised by supporters, who described the Duchess as ‘gracious’ and ‘hard-working’.    

The new approach has been praised by followers, who said they welcomed hearing about the lesser known royals, pictured

One wrote: ‘This quiet unassuming Duchess has been in the background working away for years. She’s lovely.’

Another posted: ‘A member of the royal family who just gets on with her work without fuss and with little public recognition.’

Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties last year amid ongoing scandal surrounding his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.  

Meanwhile Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, are living in Canada with their nine-month-old son Archie after announcing last month they would step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family.

The royal family account recently shared a rare photo of the Duchess of Gloucester, 73, wife of the Queen’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester, at a military engagement last month, pictured

This post, pictured, is notable as the account typically focuses on the work of the Queen, her children and grandchildren, rather than minor royals like the Duchess of Gloucester