Kate's video shows that the royals want to be relatable – but should they be?
The Princess of Wales issued a personal health update on Monday, announcing that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.
The news came not in the form of a formally written press release, but a three-minute video, which Kate herself provided the voiceover for.
In the clip, we hear the royal speak tenderly about the “incredibly tough” past few months, adding that “life as you know it can change in an instant”. She also describes her experience of cancer as “complex, scary and unpredictable”.
Kate’s musings were overlaid with cinematic, soft-focus footage of her playing with her three children, resting her head lovingly on Prince William’s shoulder, and immersing herself in the tastefully lit Norfolk countryside. It’s an intimate portrayal of the heirs to the British throne, seemingly tearing away the velvet curtains that their private lives had previously remained so carefully hidden by.
The video is the latest in what appears to be a change of strategy as the ‘slimmed down’ royal family attempts to rebrand into a fresh and modern iteration – work that has slowly been in progress following King Charles’ ascent to the throne. The royal family of yesteryear famously embodied the “never complain, never explain” mantra set by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was ultimately an overarching, unknowable figure. This way of being perceived carried a level of strength and respectability; she was a blank canvas onto which we could project whatever we needed her to be. It clearly was a winning strategy – at least, for her; the Queen was widely beloved and well respected, and her death caused a universal outpouring of grief.
But this attitude of unknowable mystique is from a bygone era that simply doesn’t fly anymore. The popularity of social media, and the way it allows us access into the homes and lives of the rich, famous and influential, means we demand more of our public figures. Desert-dry press releases just don’t satiate that desire to know every detail of people’s private lives.
No-one knows this better than Kate herself. While she initially issued a press release via Kensington Palace earlier this year, stating that she needed abdominal surgery and would be out of the public eye, it did not stop the frenzy of online speculation surrounding her whereabouts. The furore reached fever pitch and was only quelled when the princess was forced to reveal that she was undergoing cancer treatment, leaving many rightfully shame-faced.
But does this mean we need our royals to be relatable? As tender and heartfelt as the new video feels, part of me thinks it’s an unnecessary overcorrection from earlier in the year. Releasing video messages seems like the work of an Instagram influencer or a reality TV star – something that seems beneath the future queen.
It’s not the first time that royals have tried to be relatable, of course – and in the long run, it has never worked well. The infamous time that the royals appeared on It’s a Knockout in the 1980s was widely perceived to be a failure (the Queen was reportedly opposed to the project from the outset, much to Prince Edward’s disappointment), while Harry and Meghan’s desire to ‘reclaim their truth’ in their documentaries, podcasts, interviews and books has been widely derided by tabloid press. I can’t help but think if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were to release a video like this, they’d have been lambasted. I suppose I recoil at these sort of ‘royals! They’re just like us!’ moments because they’re so evidently not relatable. The only times relatability has worked well for royals is when it appears genuine, authentic and unrehearsed. Seeing Prince Louis pulling funny faces at the camera, or the younger royals holding hands at events, is endearing and sweet.
But who am I to tell Kate, or anyone, how to best handle something that is clearly sensitive and personal? Ultimately, it should be up to the royals on how they choose to tell their story – be that dry press release or twee video shoot – and they should not have to acquiesce to the shouts of others around them demanding every detail. The personal touches of Kate’s video and how she spent her summer facing illness may be a source of comfort to those also undergoing the same treatment. If it helps others as well as the Princess of Wales to come to terms with a life-changing illness, then the video has served its purpose.
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