Kate and William: adapting to the Insta age
Communicating directly with the public lets the royals circumvent the media machine but it comes with its own perils
"In another age, a brisk official bulletin would have sufficed," said James Marriott in The Times. "Or an impassive silence." But people expect more these days, and the Princess of Wales duly obliged last week by releasing a glossy video to mark the end of her chemotherapy treatment and her tentative return to royal duties.
Filmed in the woods and dunes of north Norfolk, it's a video of "remarkable editorial slickness and personal candour". It shows sepia-toned glimpses of family life – the young royals playing on a pile of logs; Kate leaning against a tree, her upturned face lit by sunshine; her and William cuddling. Meanwhile, the princess, in a voice-over, describes her healing process and hopes for the future. With its "filtered, Instagram-worthy look", said Sophie Gallagher in The i Paper, the film could be "a Center Parcs advert or a reimagining of The Famous Five (with a dash of Taylor Swift's 'Folklore')".
It's wonderful news, of course, that Catherine has finished her gruelling cancer treatment, said Anna Pasternak in The Independent. But as powerful as this video is, was it really the best way for the princess to communicate her message? You can only imagine "the howls of derision" had Meghan and Harry released a soft focus film like this. A simple official statement from Kensington Palace, or "happy-family snap", might have been more appropriate. Or, for something more in-depth, a sit-down interview with the BBC. It is a curious video, said Camilla Long in The Sunday Times. It's hard to see what it was meant to achieve, or why it needed to be quite so long, given its minimal content. "I'd have preferred, myself, to skip straight to the bit where we could simply be delighted that Kate was back looking incredible in black at the Cenotaph."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The video was a "little saccharine" for my taste, said Stephen Glover in the Daily Mail, but that didn't bother me much. I'm more concerned about the thinking behind the film: the way that William and Kate are seeking to circumvent the media by taking control of their own image. They may feel that, in the social media era, they can give people what they want by releasing carefully curated content and ignoring the traditional press. But most of us "aren't TikTok aficionados" and don't want "a supposedly perfect, make-believe monarchy". While it's great that Kate is on the mend, Kensington Palace must remember that "the royal family survives, and is justified in the public mind, because it is scrutinised". If it seeks to "repackage itself as a wholly sanitised yet untouchable institution", it tempts disaster.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Is the royal family a security risk?
Today's big question A Chinese spy's access to Prince Andrew has raised questions about Chinese influence in the UK
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The Duchy Files: how bad is the scandal for King Charles?
Today's Big Question Making millions in rent from the NHS and armed forces a 'PR disaster' for royal family
By The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales visits Southport
Speed Read The royal couple met the families of the girls killed in the knife attack
By The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales returns to work in first meeting of 2024
Speed Reed Early Years project has been the 'cornerstone' of Catherine's charitable work
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales celebrates end of chemotherapy
Speed Read The former Kate Middleton shares rare glimpse into family life as she marks milestone in her cancer treatment
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Is Prince Harry planning a royal comeback?
In the Spotlight Duke of Sussex looking to repair relationship with King Charles and 'rehabilitate' his image back in UK
By The Week UK Published
-
King Charles portrait: 'mystique' or 'monstrosity'?
Talking Points While the artist hoped to portray the 'magic' of the monarchy, critics have lambasted the 'spooky' work
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Prince Harry returns to mark 10 years of Invictus – but he won't see the King
Speed Read Duke of Sussex will not see his father during London visit 'due to His Majesty's full programme'
By Hollie Clemence, The Week UK Published