William and Kate’s Simple Strategy for Avoiding ‘Reputational Problems’ Courtesy of Harry and Meghan
Navigating a crisis in the public eye is tricky, especially when it involves family members. Enter Prince William and Kate Middleton. They have, according to an expert, a remarkably simple strategy for dealing with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Amid years of accusations and claims, they’ve come out on top.
William and Kate fully embraced the ‘keep calm and carry on’ British motto, expert says
The Prince and Princess of Wales, or William and Kate, turned to the British saying of “keep calm and carry on.” As PR expert Edward Coram-James of Go Up told Daily Express US, the couple adopted it amid comments from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. William and Kate, he told the outlet, have used “keep calm and carry on” to shield themselves from scrutiny.
“The Princess of Wales has remained broadly controversy-free for years,” Coram-James said. “Unlike the Duchess of Sussex, her popularity ratings are sky-high. She’s kept her head down, not made a fuss, worked hard, and dedicated herself to good causes.”
“She has not had a year marred by controversy,” the expert added. “Of course, this is in spite of the Sussexes’ best efforts, as they did seem to try quite hard to cause reputational problems for William and Kate.”
William and Kate have ‘kept their heads down’ with the ‘keep calm and carry on approach’
How William and Kate responded or rather didn’t, “showed poise, maturity, and dignity,” Coram-James said.
The strategy has even earned William and Kate some goodwill where, perhaps, Harry and Meghan can’t say the same. Take, for instance, the 2023 Invictus Games.
Meghan skipped the first few days to get Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, “settled,” showing up partway through the competition on Sept. 12, 2023. Dubbed “risky” by some and “good” by others in Meghan’s case, the strategy has provided Kate with more latitude to miss events.
Because William and Kate “have not had a controversial year, but instead have just kept their heads down and focused on work,” Coram-James said, “the public are more than happy to allow them some time off to focus on being good parents.”
Harry and Meghan’s ‘efforts backfired’ because William, Kate ‘flew above’ the ‘storm’
Essentially, “because of their ‘keep calm and carry on’ approach, and by not rising or taking the bait, the efforts backfired,” he added. “And the Wales’s arguably came out looking better than ever, they not only rode the storm but flew above it.”
The only word either William or Kate has uttered publicly about the relationship going sour with Harry and Meghan has been, to date, only William. He refuted claims of racism in the royal family in the days after Harry and Meghan’s 2021 Oprah interview.
More recently, William acknowledged Harry’s birthday in a small way. He told a fan at a public appearance who’d asked if he’d “forgotten” his younger brother’s birthday on September 15: “It is his birthday today; you’re absolutely right, it is. No, I’ve not forgotten.”
