Two years ago, William and Kate “only” had the title Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. After the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and the shocking statement of King Charles’ cancer just days ago, some argue the former Duke is edging closer to the throne.
Luckily, the king’s cancer diagnosis is said to have been found at a very early stage and, hopefully, he will make a full recovery. Though, as much as William, Kate, and the rest of the royals hope Charles will be once again at full strength, the reality is that things can change very quickly.
Prince William has been second in the line of succession for less than two years. Learning all he needs for when he will become king takes time, and he is not even close, experts argue. Meanwhile, William and Kate are getting a warning from a PR expert, who says their entire future could be affected if they don’t change themselves.
Prince William and Princess Kate are the future face of the monarchy. The “new generation” of royals has been very clear on how they want to modernize the royal family, beginning with how they raise their children.
Not long ago, a royal expert praised them for their more “modern” approach to raising their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and how they have decided to go against decades of childcare protocol.
Prince William and Kate Middleton praised for their “modern” approach
Speaking with People Magazine a few weeks ago, royal author Robert Hardman stated that the Prince and Princess of Wales are a “modern royal couple” and want their children to have as normal a childhood as possible.
“There would have been more delegation [in the past]. He [William] doesn’t want to leave it all to the nanny. We know they are a very tight family unit, and he wants to be there for them.”
“So much of what they do with those kids is about normalizing life and not making them feel like they are in a special gilded cage.”
Moreover, Hello Magazine’s royal expert Emily Nash explained that their children didn’t visit Kate during the two weeks she was recovering at the London Clinic from her abdominal surgery but that she had found a way to make their everyday life as normal as possible.
That, she argues, among other things, wouldn’t have happened in earlier generations.
“Kate loves FaceTiming the children when she is working away overseas, so I’m sure they will be in regular contact while she’s in the hospital, and the kids will be keen to see her as soon as she’s well enough.”
“She loves having her family around her so she will be looking forward to getting home and having cuddles with the kids. Both William and Kate are very hands-on parents,” she added.
Emily Nash concluded, “They take the kids to school, attend sports matches and concerts and try to be home for bedtime as much as they can. While Kate is in hospital, William will be at home keeping things as normal as possible.”
William and Kate affected by Harry’s book
While Prince William and Princess Kate have been seen as two of the most popular royal family members for many years, there have indeed been some low points. One came about a year ago, shortly after Harry released his book, Spare, in which he attacked his family members in The Firm.
When William and Kate left an event in Liverpool after the book had been released, a reporter asked the prince if he had read Harry’s book yet. Later, while arriving at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, one reporter shouted, “Do you ever plan to comment on Harry’s book, sir?”
Neither got a response.
For Harry’s part, of course, there’s every reason to smile: Spare became a massive success after only its first day of sale.
The public’s view of William and Kate was also affected by Spare’s release.
In a column for the New Zealand Herald, royal commentator Daniela Elser wrote that the Prince and Princess of Wales have received the “lowest figures on record” in a new YouGov poll.
They got 70 percent and 68 percent, respectively. They’re hardly terrible numbers, but do reflect a decrease.
“Those hard workers over at YouGov have been at it though, polling Brits to find out how they are currently feeling about the House of Windsor. The numbers paint a grim picture for anyone with a personal cipher, notably William and Kate,” Elser wrote at the time.
She added: “Their net favourability sits at 49 percent for the Prince and 50 percent for the Princess. The lowest figures on record for the duo since polling started in 2011.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton warned about “PR catastrophe”
Moreover, the royal expert noted that William’s popularity was “70 percent positive and 21 percent negative,” while Kate’s was 68 percent positive and 18 percent negative.”
Many might have believed that William, Kate, and other royal family members mentioned in Harry’s book would have had their popularity dropping even more.
Luckily for William and Kate, time has turned in their favor. However, looking forward, a PR expert now issues a serious warning to the Prince and Princess of Wales. While they have been trying to modernize the royal family regarding their children’s upbringing, expert Carla Speight claims they have stuck with old royal traditions regarding PR.
If nothing is done, it could be very damaging.
Speight said that the recent scandal with Prince Andrew and how Harry and Meghan have moved away from the royal family more and more will mean that King Charles, Queen Camila, Prince William, and Princess Kate are facing a “PR catastrophe.”
She argued that the Prince and Princess of Wales have become “detached” from the public and must find a new way to remain relatable, especially since they are much younger than King Charles and Camilla.
“It doesn’t work anymore,” she told Express. “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.”
“They need to move with the times”
The PR expert continued, “I know that William and Kate try with social media. But ultimately, they have got a production team there.”
Moreover, Carla Speight suggested one thing that could help Kate. Previously, royal family members have had strict rules against taking selfies with the public, but that is something Kate Middleton has changed.
However, the expert says that that is not enough and states that Kate could be helped by going into “selfie mode,” sharing details of her duties more naturally by “holding the phone herself and talking to the camera.”
“[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.”
When King Charles became king, voices against the monarchy were raised by those who wanted it dissolved. The king has had protestors showing signs saying “Not My King” on several events after the coronation in May last year. When making his first speech as monarch at the State Opening of Parliament, hundreds gathered to protest.
“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. Everyone sort of felt like they could connect with him. There was a human side to him,” Carla Speight concluded.
“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.”
Doctor says Kate Middleton’s surgery recovery could take nine months
Princess Kate is recovering from abdominal surgery at the family’s Adelaide Cottage at Windsor. She won’t return to royal duties until after Easter. But a doctor gave a worrying update just days ago, saying that Kate could be having trouble with it for months.
It will take “a good six weeks to let the wounds fully heal,” Shashank Gurjar, a consultant and colorectal surgeon specializing in the keyhole and open surgery for bowel cancer, told Hello Magazine.
But at the same time, if it’s a large wound, meaning the stitch will be bigger, Kate could have problems with it for “six to nine months.”
“The skin itself heals within 48 hours, but the knitting together of the abdominal muscle, which is the sheath of the muscle, that has a stronger stitch which may last a good six months,” Shashank Gurjar told Hello.
Further, the expert said that Kate must focus on three main things when recovering to make it as smooth as possible.
“I think the important thing is firstly to recognise that you’ve gone through something significant. This is a life event. You cannot think you’re going to bounce back tomorrow. You’ve got to give it time,” he said.
“The next thing is nutrition. You must ensure that your nutrition is adequate because wounds need to heal. So you need a good mix of multivitamins, microelements, and all the stuff that you need in a good diet. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, everything. So a good sensible diet.”
Gurjar concluded, “The third thing is to build up mobility bit by bit. You’re not going to get better by sitting or lying in a bed all day every day for the next two weeks. That doesn’t help either. So you need the insight, you need the nutrition, and you need the recognition that you have to start mobilizing and build up slowly, but surely.”
