Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

The Queen’s statement was a PR masterclass

The Queen’s statement was a PR masterclass

Meghan is fond of referring to the Royal Family as “the Firm”. She appears to regard it as something of an insult. That’s a mistake, one of many she has made lately, critics say. If the institution is House of Windsor Ltd and the Queen is its chief executive, the monarch is as good as any boss of a FTSE 100 company, as the last 48 hours have shown.
The Queen will have been deluged with (mostly bad) advice from PR “experts” on how to respond to the criticism of the firm made by Meghan and Prince Harry in their interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday. Say nothing. Let the already“dead in the water” Prince Andrew carry the can for the alleged racist remarks about the colour of Archie’s skin. Say the palace will investigate any formal complaints of racism, safe in the knowledge that Harry is unlikely to name and shame.

In the end, her statement was a masterclass in how to defuse a very tense situation and get back to business as usual. First, don’t rush it. Going too fast risks errors. Also, a period of radio silence suggests that you do not regard the issue as urgent and, therefore, not too serious. Her statement is very short. If you are trying to take the heat out of a situation, the fewer words you say, the less ammunition you give “the other side” to respond to. It took two hours for Meghan to make her case. The Queen opted for three sentences.

She began, as she should, by acknowledging the couple’s suffering. “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.” The expression of regret is genuine and warm. Note no formal titles: just “Harry” and “Meghan”.

But the addition of the phrase “full extent” raises the question of whether the couple really told the family how bad things had got. The use of the word “challenging” also implies that Harry and Meghan might have been partly responsible for their woes since they were not up to the challenge of royal life.

The question of what was or was not said to Harry, and by whom, about Archie’s skin colour could not go unaddressed or unacknowledged. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning (and) they are taken very seriously,” the Queen said solemnly.

But she seized on the couple’s refusal to name the alleged perpetrator, nor reveal the exact words he or she said, as an opportunity to assert that the issue would be “addressed by the family privately”. She also uses Meghan and Harry’s failure to explain the tone of the alleged remark — blatant racism or dumb question? — to, again, inject a hint of doubt into the claim by noting “some recollections may vary”. The Queen knows the truth will never come out. All she has to do to protect the firm is muddy the waters a bit.

Her Majesty saves the best until last. “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.” What a fantastic sentence. On its face it seems simple and supportive. But there’s a subtle hidden meaning. The use of the world “always”, rather than, say, “will continue to be”, seems to suggest that nothing Harry and Meghan will ever do will bother the Royal Family enough for them to criticise or cast aside Harry and Meghan in the way that the couple have just criticised and cast aside the House of Windsor. Play the victims if you like, the Queen is saying, but don’t expect us to join in.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×