Almost ten days after the announcement of her hospitalization, nothing is known about the state of health of the Princess of Wales. A costly strategy of silence for the royal family that may have had its day.
Ten days and a silence that says too much. Since the announcement of her hospitalization for “abdominal surgery” announced on January 16, we have not heard from Kate Middleton. The press release issued by Kensington Palace, however, was intended to be reassuring. “The surgery went well and he is expected to stay in the hospital for ten to fourteen days.” However, the press continued to speculate on the reasons for such an intervention, suggesting that if the Princess of Wales were to suspend all public engagements until Easter, as officially stated, she would be in dire straits. Quite the opposite, in short, of the “relaxing” spirit of the Kensington Palace message.
For Philippe Moreau Chevrolet, communications consultant and communications professor at Sciences Po, the royal family may be wrong to choose a strategy of silence. the era ofnever explain, never complain” (“never explain, never complain”) for dear Elizabeth II, is she out of date? Explanations:
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Madame Figaro: What are the virtues of silence in the context of crisis communication?
Philippe Moreau Chevrolet. The idea of silence is not to fuel rumours. Generally, we start by making a clear and relatively brief press release, then say nothing, hoping that the controversy will go away on its own, which sometimes happens. We also hope with one statement that this version will be preserved by the public, because problems arise when we start giving the second one, followed by one comment, another… This confuses the message. But for the strategy of silence to work, the initial message had to be well crafted, which is not the case here at all.
For what?
Because he is too elusive. The press, instead of discussing the real problem affecting Kate Middleton, began to develop a whole bunch of imaginary scenarios with excessive dramatization, which leads to the belief that she is possibly on the verge of death. It would be better to be clear. Moreover, the price of notoriety is that when a problem arises, you live with it; it will always be a part of your story. Therefore, we need to manage communication for the long term, which requires a coherent vision of the character. Kate Middleton has been consistent in the manner of transparency, simplicity, reserve and nobility that make up her brand, and so far she has been very well managed. There we fall into something that is quite far from these standards, and it contradicts its image. It’s complicated, very complicated. It would be better if it were clear, then we would be silent, accept the crisis and move on.
The price of notoriety is that when a problem arises, you live with it; it will always be a part of your story.
Philippe-Moreau Chevrolet
Why does silence suggest that something is necessarily being hidden?
Because when it comes to the health of leaders or stars, there is a tradition of lying. Especially in France. during his public appearances, it was clear that Georges Pompidou, bloated from cortisone injections, was ill, but he was said to be fine. We also think about President Francois Mitterrand’s cancer. There is complete silence about Vladimir Putin’s health abroad. This lie is explained by the fact that these public figures are “deified”. they must be stronger than these biological problems.
Which has to do with the story of Kate Middleton, a person in control of her own destiny, which resembles a fairy tale without a hitch.
This is the first time he gets into trouble, and it’s in an amazing sequence. Of course, it is also possible that she suffers from a very intimate gynecological problem, she is modest and does not want to talk about it at all. But then it will be difficult to repair. Kate Middleton has always cultivated a certain simplicity. I think of her Zara dresses, clothes she cares to wear more than once. This is obviously not comparable to what Princess Diana did, a role model in this field, but she also made an effort to be the “people’s princess”, a little closer. Keeping your illness obscure goes against all that, it’s not good.
Does this mean the royal family’s code of silence is obsolete today?
Yes, it is an archaic way of communicating that does not suit the need for transparency of the times. We all want to be “in the know”, either because we’re anxious or because we’re a bit of a voyeur, but that’s the price of notoriety these days. We changed the times also because of the conspiracy. the concept of truth has become too relative and immediately complete, not having a rational explanation really ignites social networks and controversy. This makes Kate Middleton a target that was clearly not wanted in the first place. The scary and scary thing is that you can no longer have a private life when you reach this level of fame. Sooner or later there will be a leak, a medical report, a tweet from someone in good standing. Kate Middleton has an official role, she is not a private person. He lives partly on the state budget, he has an official role within the British Crown. that’s why silence doesn’t work.
Sooner or later there will be a leak, a medical report, a tweet from someone in good standing
The day his surgery was announced. we learned that King Charles III himself would be hospitalized in a week . The press release about him was very transparent and reassuring about the benign prostate surgery. Why is this treatment so different?
Because we care less about the King than Kate Middleton, for three reasons. The first is that the latter is a young, sick person who will be hospitalized for a long time. It also reminds many of the tragic times of the British monarchy. Then again, Kate Middleton is a much-loved iconic figure, which Charles isn’t at the moment. if he is a king, we cannot say that he enjoys the same popularity. The third reason why we are more interested in him is the mystery. But two such different modes of communication are not intelligible.
To what extent does this episode weaken the monarchy?
Monarchy has a divine origin that is incompatible with disease. Sovereigns are supposed to be above disease, and when their bodies get the better of them, deep down it bothers us. When leaders are vulnerable, it is people who become vulnerable somewhere. this also applies to presidents, in France where we are still in a fairly monarchical system. Sickness is unacceptable because when you are weak, you lose a little of your legitimacy to be on top. In the case of the British monarchy, the question of legitimacy has already been raised. It seems that the crown is gradually losing all its jewels. He is no longer above scandal, he is no longer above suspicion, he is accused of high expenses, and what is more, he is sick; that’s a lot.
Source: Le Figaro
