Princess Kate and Prince William have not kept up with the times and have stuck with royal tradition in terms of PR, an expert has warned, which could prove detrimental.
It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly opting for a Hollywood rebrand since stepping down from their royal duties and moving to the US.
Carla Speight shared her thoughts on the “PR catastrophe the King, Queen, William and Kate are facing” in light of Prince Andrew’s recent scandal and the Sussexes move away from the royal family.
The PR expert suggested the Cambridges have become “detached” from the public and will need to find alternative ways to remain relatable – especially being much younger royals when compared to King Charles and Camilla.
“It doesn’t work anymore,” she told Express.co.uk, “because we live in a world of social media and connection and humankind of stories [the royals] have detached so much from reality.
“The rest of us find it hard to kind of connect with them at all.”
She continued: “I know that William and Kate try with social media. But ultimately, they have got a production team there.”
The expert suggested it would help if Kate attempted to go into “selfie mode” and shared details of her events and duties on social media in an organic way, for instance, while “holding the phone herself and talking to the camera”.
The expert remarked: “[William and Kate] are younger and they need to move with the times but they just haven’t.
“If you’re relying on the public, not turning against you, you need to connect with them.”
The PR expert referenced protestors who wielded ‘Not My King’ placards in their first major anti-monarchy demonstration since King Charles’s Coronation in May.
The king made his first speech as monarch at the State Opening of Parliament on (November 7), however, he had to face hundreds who gathered to protest against including the group Republic.
“The resurgence of [Republicans] not liking Charles I can see it being even worse for William because he’s just so distant compared to when he was a teenager,” the expert warned. “Everyone sort of felt like they could connect with him. There was a human side to him.”
“Even in [William’s] Eton days during his public appearances he almost breaks rank a bit, because he’d be funny. He had a charm about him that made him stand out.”
Meanwhile, William will return to his royal duties this week, having taken three weeks off following his wife, Kate’s abdominal surgery.
The Prince of Wales took a break from royal duties following Kate’s surgery on January 16 as he focused on supporting her and looking after their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
William will return to official engagements this week as his wife Kate continues to recover from abdominal surgery at their home in Windsor.
