Princess Kate has published a subsequently manipulated photo of herself and the children – triggering a PR fiasco. What lessons does the royal family have to learn from the vortex?
Princess Kate has already disappeared from the front pages of the British press, but at the end of this week Kensington Palace still has to admit one thing: its communications strategy was a disaster.
David Yelland, former editor-in-chief of the tabloid The Sun, is stunned by what happened in the palace. Speaking on his podcast “When it hits the fan”, he said: “I wonder how this happened. How is it possible that the Princess of Wales releases an edited photo to the world’s news outlets and no one on her team tells her: ‘You can’t do that.'”
Photo editing is not new
It is unheard of for several major news agencies such as AP, AFP and Reuters to withdraw an official photo published by Kensington Palace on suspicion of manipulation. The editing of images is not new, as the royal editor of the “Sunday Times”, Roya Nikkhah, explained to the BBC: “The fact that photos of the royals are touched and edited again is really nothing new. The problem in this case could be “It may be that photo agencies have recently tightened their rules due to fears that photos could be AI-generated. However, there is no indication that AI was used here.”
Royals depend on trust
Nevertheless, the news agencies put a so-called kill notice on the photo: the photo was withdrawn and media professionals were advised not to use it anymore. Former editor-in-chief Yelland believes that Kensington Palace does not understand the damage it has caused:
The fact is that the royal family can only survive if we believe them. And the world is losing trust. This photo is not real! Without trust, the royal family is nothing.
Yelland, who knows the power of the tabloid press, is sure that the only reason the scandal doesn’t get completely out of hand is because the press is on the side of the royal family in this case. In fact, the major tabloid Daily Mail has asked on behalf of its readers for a break for the princess. “Give Kate a break” – “Give Kate a break,” she headlined.
Social media requires different communication
Kensington Palace will still have to critically review its communications strategy, even if – apart from the manipulated photo – it has not made any mistakes in its implementation, as Simon Lewis, who was formerly Queen Elizabeth II’s press chief, emphasizes.
“You could say: Kensington Palace actually delivered exactly what it said it would,” emphasizes Lewis. In January, the palace made it clear “what the timeline for the princess’s recovery was and that it would only contact the public with relevant updates.” “It all sounds a bit bureaucratic, but that’s what he said: that people wouldn’t see Kate until at least Easter,” Lewis said.
However, this strategy no longer seems to work in the age of social media. The palace can still somewhat control the reporting in the newspapers, because it is known that the royal family makes agreements with the press. This doesn’t work with social media users. What happens when the palace creates an information vacuum – as happened in Kate’s case in the past few weeks – has now become very clear to the palace. In this case, the users themselves fill in the blank spaces with their theories and fantasies.
Imke Köhler, ARD London, tagesschau, March 15, 2024 9:33 a.m