5 times Prince William and Kate Middleton followed in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's footsteps

In the photos, taken on the steps of Frogmore House in Windsor, Markle sits facing slightly away from Harry with her elbow resting on his leg and her hand on his.

The couple sat almost exactly the same way that Lubomirski posed Harry and Markle in their engagement photos.

In keeping with royal etiquette, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rarely show affection in public. In past anniversary photos released by Kensington Palace, they've maintained an air of formality.

They maintained near-constant contact on royal engagements, holding hands and affectionately touching each other's arms.

In keeping with royal etiquette, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge seldom show affection in public, but that seemed to undergo a shift in 2020 as Markle and Harry's popularity grew.

During a visit to Wales in January 2020, William was photographed placing a protective hand on Middleton's shoulder as they spoke to well-wishers outside the Mumbles Lifeboat Station near Swansea. And while visiting an arcade in August 2020, Middleton put her arm around William.

The couple had previously registered their non-profit organization as "Sussex Royal The Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," and they created the Instagram handle @sussexroyal before resigning from the royal family.

"Given the specific UK government rules surrounding use of the word 'Royal,' it has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organization will not utilize the name 'Sussex Royal' or any other iteration of 'Royal,'" a spokesperson for the couple wrote on their website in February 2020.

A few months later in April 2020, Markle and Harry rebranded by launching a non-profit organization named Archewell after their son, Archie.

"Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of 'Arche' — the Greek word meaning 'source of action.' We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son's name," the couple said in a statement obtained by Insider.

The couple's display names on social media were previously @KensingtonRoyal, referencing their home base at Kensington Palace. In May 2020, William and Middleton changed their social media handles to the more informal @dukeandduchessofcambridge. Fans noted that the change seemed more personal.

Their Instagram feed also became more candid, sharing photos of Middleton running with Princess Charlotte for Mother's Day, as well as Instagram versus reality-style pictures of Prince Louis for his birthday.

The star-studded first episode of their podcast featured Sir Elton John, Tyler Perry, James Corden, Naomi Osaka, Stacey Abrams, Matt Haig, and a brief cameo from their son, Archie.

The YouTube channel will allow viewers a glimpse inside royal life.

During their interview with Winfrey, Markle and Harry shared a black-and-white video of their son playing at the beach with his parents and their two dogs, Guy and Pula. Archie could be seen running around holding a stick while dressed in a cardigan.

The video showed William and Middleton spending time with their children outdoors with activities such as running through trees and roasting marshmallows, similar to Markle and Harry's clip.

Their more informal style could be part of an effort to help them appear more relatable in the wake of Harry and Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey about their rift with Kensington Palace.