Photo copyright Newsweek
So I’m late to the party on this and didn’t immediately want to comment without being have had a chance to digest the happenings of Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge on their Commonwealth tour.
Will and Kate have been doing their royal duties by taking a tour of the Caribbean. Unfortunately their visit has been described as a PR nightmare with the couple being publicly booed and facing protests from local people.
Whilst there’s no way to please everyone, here are the ways I think Will and Kate could have avoided this lastest crisis.
1. Hire a publicist from the country they were going to in the planning stages.
It still amazes me how this is the easiest thing organisations can do and yet they repeatedly ignore it to the point of ignorance. Bringing on someone who knows the environment and the audience is a sure fire way to connect effectively. They are undoubtedly going to be aware of the cultural norms and nuances. I’d like to think the Royal Family is aware of the sensitivities around their history and Black people and if not the deep rooted issues they are surely hyper aware of more recently challenges with Harry and Meagan. Having an ally that understands the audience is a no brainer. I am available to receive that call.
2. Watch videos of past trips and avoid replicating them.
Will and Kate represent a new era in the monarchy with Prince Charles being a conduit for this transition. Whilst tradition can be important they still need to ‘read the room’. This was an opportunity to build modern and inclusive opportunities and activities to bring the monarchy somewhat closer to people. It is 2022, playing drums and visting schools are overdone. How can the monarchy be using their platform to amplify the country? Which leads me to…
3. What’s in it for me?
The apparent point of this whole trip was to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee. To think that the Royal Family still have no idea of The Commonwealth’s feelings on it’s colonial past is a worry but not entirely surprising. Balance is needed between royalists and acknowledging the shift in the tides. The Royals could have focused on the country’s achievements and areas of growth and contribute to its global strategy.
There is an obvious adjustment going on inside the family as members are moved around like chess pieces to accommodate a new phase in royal history. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge must blaze a distinctive path that recognises the future and acknowledges the past.
