How Kensington Palace’s PR Team Failed Prince William in World Cup Controversy
Prince William never had to attend the World Cup, but the lack of explanation has resulted in a vacuum of negative media and social media attention
The issue over William’s decision to not attend the Women’s World Cup final has been debated to death at this point, but I think within the midst of some of the passionate debate some of Palace’s failure here has been lost. And, given the monarchy’s somewhat precarious future, it should be discussed in greater detail.
Looking throughout the responses from people regarding why William couldn’t attend, the counter responses were rather obvious:
William can’t go to Australia until King Charles visits. Well then why didn’t the Palace say that in the first place? If it’s a constitutional issue, people would understand and that would be such a simple reason for him not to attend. However, answering this also raises questions about when Charles will visit or if it would be just the Wales’, making the argument moot anyways and perhaps something the Palace didn’t want to bring up. Though there are a variety of political issues surrounding the situation, it’s likely that everyone would understand supporting England in the final, given that William is the president of the Football Association.
William doesn’t want to expend the carbon emissions to travel for such a short trip. He is the founder of the Earthshot Prize after all. This is a tricky answer, especially for William. If the answer is yes, as one report indicates, then why is he going to New York and Singapore for the Earthshot Prize? If the carbon emissions issue is so important, then why is he traveling to other places to campaign for Earthshot when he could perhaps do the same from home? Those are the questions that people, and his detractors, will ask. Also, if he’s putting decisions about carbon emissions over that of his role as a royal, that’s problematic. Will he decline other, more significant, duties because of the potential carbon footprint? And if he’s worried about the carbon emissions, it’s not like he would have to charter a flight to Australia, as likely dozens leave from the U.K. daily.
He met with them before they left and told them he wasn’t coming. That’s understandable, as it wouldn’t make sense for him to attend the entire competition, but shouldn’t their placement in the final change that? (Mind you, it’s also the first time England has been in World Cup final since 1966.)
Well, William is following the monarchy’s “never complain, never explain” policy. That doesn’t totally work either. The policy makes sense when it comes to personal matters, like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. If the Palace descended to their level of mudslinging, it would just get worse and it would never end. However, in the absence of an explanation, the public and the media is left to fill in the blanks, and not all the answers are flattering. For example, perhaps he didn’t want to, isn’t interested in women’s sports, didn’t think the public was invested in it enough for him to attend, or he remains Workshy William, a charge that’s hung around William and Catherine for well over a decade. Not saying any of this is true, but saying something in this instance was better than nothing.
He’s on vacation with his family, and he always puts his family first. Bravo to William for always putting his family first! But, again, the obvious response from his detractors is that he’s been on vacation for a month already and should be spending all that time with his family already. Is he not? Also, given that everyone knew the tournament was happening, could they not have planned for the possibility that the Lionesses might be in the final?
I’m a staunch supporter of all monarchies. I like the idea of institutions that represent centuries of history and traditions—however, there’s a quote that would fit will here if modified: “a monarchy, if you can keep it.” In this modern age, monarchies are increasingly seen as archaic representatives of the past. From conquest and colonialism to the slave trade, many use the monarchy as a battering ram for humanity’s collective sins. As a result, a monarchy should always operate as if it’s one breath away from irrelevancy.
That’s how Spain operates. Not only does Queen Letizia have a wonderful rapport with the team, she also knows that Spain is among the weakest crowns in Europe. Anything the monarchy can do to endear itself to the people will help rebuild it after the disastrous end of the reign of former King Juan Carlos, who abdicated surrounded by scandal. The adulation towards Letizia and her daughter Sofia by the team was fabulous, and it also seemed like, given that William didn’t attend, that the Spanish royals added the magic touch and pushed Spain towards victory. That isn’t really the case, but you could read it that way.
This is all to say that the Palace’s PR team needs to figure out how to be proactive, not passive. What I saw from the Palace PR team in the U.K. in this instance was complacency. They didn’t feel like they needed to respond, and as the fervor grew they were seemingly content to stand by and do … nothing. As a result, in this modern age, alternative explanations reigned, which were both good and bad.
And yes, this may be just a game and it may have been ridiculous to fly there just to see the Lionesses lose, but what if next time it’s more than just a game. The Palace PR team failed here. Not only did they not have a response, but they failed to do anything in the face of the growing criticism and left their charges vulnerable to needlessly negative narratives.