There has been much critique of Kate’s, or should I say, Catherine Princess of Wales’, latest video, released to announce the end of her chemotherapy treatment.
Some received the video as a heartfelt, personal message, fulfilling their need for a glimpse into the Royals’ personal family life. It ticked the boxes of quiet moments shared between a husband and wife mixed with boisterous children and wholesome family time.
Others saw it as a polished, curated version of the truth, far removed from most cancer survivors’ experience of the disease and treatment.
I could see both in the video, but my overarching impression was that it showed PR lessons had been learned.
If we cast our minds back to Kate’s cancer journey – in terms of public knowledge at least – Kensington Palace received huge criticism for failing to be open about her abdominal surgery in January. Her team responded by releasing a photo of Kate and her children, attempting to show her fit and well and smiling. Instead, it sparked questions as to the whereabouts of her husband, wedding ring and daughter’s sleeve as news agencies recalled the image over concerns, later justified, that it had been doctored.
Days later, a very personal, but static video was released to answer the questions. She confirmed her cancer diagnosis and she was wearing her Princess Diana engagement ring. The video was widely praised for its honesty and vulnerability, but the fact she was alone failed to quell questions about her and her husband’s relationship.
In the latest video, these points are addressed. Here we see intimate moments between her and Prince William, her head on his shoulder, hands clutched, arms entwined, eternity ring visible as she changes gear on an old Land Rover à la Queen Elizabeth II. We see the children boisterous and happy, but also moments of Kate reflecting alone, reconnecting with nature while her message over the top has the same air of sincerity she shared back in March.
In an attempt to be more ‘real’ in this video, the family are seen together with Catherine’s parents, a more ‘normal’ family setting than having the King and Queen playing cards at your table.
Of course there are still criticisms, this is a highly curated version of reality. It is personal and open but still shares only what the Royals are comfortable with – there is no discussion about the type of cancer, no photos of Kate looking weak and it will be no doubt be an unfamiliar reality to that experienced by many cancer patients’ treatment journey on the NHS.
But let’s not forget, this video was released on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Instagram channel and, like most of the population, it shares the version of truth they want to show the public.
Don’t be under any illusion, this personal video will have been the result of long discussions with the Kensington public relations team, and a costly shoot with videographer Will Parr, not some quickly turned-out montage of the Princess’s personal photo library – even if that’s how it’s made to look.
It is a reminder that whenever we post on our social media channels, we are doing PR and when it comes to businesses or individuals with a public image to protect, it underlines the importance of getting that right, preferably the first time.
At least this latest video shows Kate and her team have learned from past mistakes.
