The Royal Family is the Epitome of 2026's TikTok “New Luxury” Trend
“It's not something you can pay for. It's only something you can work for.”
When it comes to social media trends, King Charles III is not exactly an influencer in the traditional sense. His Majesty is not posting Scottish tartan haul videos or What I Eat in a Day vlogs at Clarence House. But when it comes to 2026’s biggest luxury trend, King Charles is the posterboy.
Tamsin Wong, TikTok star and mega-influencer, shared a thinkpiece of the biggest trend she predicts for the new year, sharing with her followers “what I think the new luxury for 2026 and beyond is going to be." Tamsin expands that the goalpost has shifted, and “with social media and the exposure we have to people from all over the world, all different walks of life, the amount of things that were once seen as rare or exclusive, they are no longer rare or exclusive.” The new idea of luxury isn’t Birkin bags or BBLs, but time.
“The new luxury will be all about the niche interests and skills you acquire through a combination of money and discipline,” she said. “It'll be having a special interest that you are incredibly well-read on but requires money to be part of.”
Princess Kate's love of beekeeping, a time-consuming and expensive hobby.
Queen Camilla is known as one of the most well-read women in any room.
The Royal Family are the ultimate influencers in niche interests and skills. From King Charles’s love of watercolor and gardening, to Princess Kate’s penchant for beekeeping, the royals love analog hobbies that require time and patience.
“You already see a lot of videos on my feed that say things I find incredibly chic, and it's the most basic stuff like reading or playing an instrument,” Tamsin expands on her thoughts in the video. “These are all things that are skills that require time and effort and money, [...] it's not something you can pay for. It's only something you can work for.”
The British Royals may have an eyewatering amount of money in terms of income, investments, and property, but the real luxury is the time they have to spend on skills, hobbies, and interests. Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte’s mother-daughter piano lessons require plenty of time to practice. Queen Camilla is said to be one of the most well-read women, which comes from having plenty of free time to read.
Princess Kate spends time honing her photography skills.
King Charles has enjoyed art and watercolor his entire life, perfecting the skills over time.
Tamsin Wong’s followers all agree, and chimed in with their own thoughts. “The new luxury is being OFFLINE,” said a follower named Rachel. April Sanders added, “Honestly, the real luxury is time. It’s the only thing we can’t get more of. Having the ability to dedicate the time to learning skills, activities, hosting, etc. is the true luxury.” Wong’s follower C. Olesen surmised the trend, commenting “Things you can’t buy like time and effort will become status symbols—having the time and energy to learn a skill (chess, tennis, riding, drawing, cooking) and the resources to achieve high levels in leisure activities outside work will be used to show “the good life”.”
As King Charles and Princess Kate are encouraging us to live an analog lifestyle—both royals have publicly suggested digital detoxing, and spending less time online—they’re showing us the ultimate luxury isn’t their castles or their clothes, but precious time. Both of these key members of the royal family shared their cancer experiences over the last few years, reflecting on the perspective it gave them. Princess Kate spent her days in nature, being creative, practicing on the piano, and honing her art skills. King Charles enjoyed time in his beloved gardens, his watercolor painting, and revisits of Shakespeare.
Maybe 2026 can be the year of less doomscrolling and dupe culture, and more gardening and mushroom foraging.
