“The silence of the royal family makes Kate Middleton a target”

Ten days, and a silence that speaks volumes: since the announcement of her admission to the hospital for an “abdominal operation”, announced on January 16, we had no news from Kate Middleton. The press release issued by Kensington Palace was however intended to be encouraging: “The operation was successful and it is expected that he will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days.” However, the media has continued to speculate on the reasons for such an intervention, suggesting that if the Princess of Wales has to stop all public activities until Easter, as officially stated, she will be in a bad situation. Quite the opposite, in short, the “calming” spirit of the message from Kensington Palace.

Also readKate Middleton: ten days of deafening silence

For Philippe Moreau Chevrolet, communication consultant and professor of communication at Sciences Po, the royal family may have made a mistake by choosing a strategy of silence. Age of “never explain, never complain“(“never explain, never complain”) dear Elizabeth II, could it be overstated? Explanations

Miss Figaro .- What are the characteristics of silence in the context of problem communication?

Philippe Moreau Chevrolet.- The idea of ​​silence is not to fuel rumours. Generally, we start by making a clear and concise statement, then say nothing more in the hope that the argument will die down on its own, which it sometimes does. We also hope, through a unanimous statement, that it will be this version that will be preserved by the public because the problem arises when we start giving seconds, followed by comments, and others… . But for the silence strategy to work, the original message must be well-crafted, which is not the case here.

For what?

Because he avoids a lot. The media, instead of discussing the real problem that concerns Kate Middleton, has started to create many imaginary events, with excessive drama that makes people think that she is probably about to die. It would be better to be clear. Moreover, the price of a bad reputation is that when a problem happens, you live with it: it will always be part of your story. So we have to manage the communication for a long time, which requires a strong vision of the subject. Kate Middleton is steadfast in the openness, modesty, and the kind of reserve and dignity that constitutes her trademark, and has managed it very well so far. There, we fall into something that is completely far from these standards, and it is against his image. It’s messed up, it’s too complicated. It would be better to be open than to remain silent, accept the conflict and move on.

The price of familiarity is that when trouble happens, you live with it: it will always be part of your story.

Philippe-Moreau Chevrolet

Why does silence indicate that we must be hiding something?

Because when it comes to the health of leaders or stars, there is a tradition of lying. Especially in France: during his public appearances, it was clear that Georges Pompidou, swollen from his cortisone injections, was sick, but it was said that he was in good health. We also think of President François Mitterrand’s cancer. Abroad, there is complete silence about the health of Vladimir Putin. This lie is explained because these public figures are “gods”: they must be strong, above all these biological problems.

Which is connected to the story of Kate Middleton, the master of the personality of her destiny, which resembles a fairy tale without a hitch.

This is his first time in trouble, and that’s what’s amazing about the sequence. Of course, it is also possible that he has a very close reproductive problem, that he is modest and does not want to talk about it at all. But it will be difficult to repair later. Kate Middleton has always cultivated a certain modesty: I think of her Zara dresses, of clothes that she takes care to wear several times. This is obviously not comparable to that of Princess Diana, an example in this area, but she also made an effort to be a “daughter of the people”, to get a little closer. Maintaining ignorance about one’s illness goes against all this, it is not good.

Also readBehind Kate Middleton’s worrisome hospitalization, the inexplicable shadow of Lady Diana’s disappearance.

Does this mean that the royal family’s code of silence is outdated today?

Yes, it is an old-fashioned way of communicating, which does not match the need for transparency of the time. We all want to “know”, either because we are worried, or because we are a little adventurous, but today, it is the price of bad reputation. We have changed the era also because of the conspiracy: the idea of ​​truth has become very relative and the lack of complete and rational explanations actually provokes social debates and arguments. Here, it makes Kate Middleton a target, which obviously wasn’t meant to be in the first place. What is scary and scary is that you can no longer have a personal life when you reach this level of notoriety. Sooner or later there will be a leak, a medical report, a tweet from someone in a good position. Kate Middleton has an official role, she is not a private person. He lives partly on the state budget, he has an official role within the British crown: this is why silence does not work either.

Sooner or later there will be a leak, a medical report, a tweet from someone in a good position

The day his operation was announced, we learned that King Charles III himself was going to be hospitalized a week later . As for him, the press release was very clear and encouraging, mentioning the benign prostate operation. Why is this treatment different?

Because we’re less enamored of the royal than Kate Middleton, for three reasons. The first is that the end is a small person, sick, who will be in the hospital for a long time: this generates fear, suspicion that is a little “sordid”, but very true. It also recalls the tragic times of the British monarchy, which have befallen many. Then, Kate Middleton is a very appreciated model, which Charles is not at the moment: if he is a king, we cannot say that he enjoys the same popularity. The third reason why we are most interested in him is the mystery. But the two ways of communicating are so different, it is not understood.

Also readCancer, prostate, double fracture : l’historique médical du roi Charles III

How much does this period weaken the monarchy?

The Kingdom has a divine lineage that is not incompatible with disease. Rulers should be on top of the disease and when their body catches up with them, deep down, it bothers us. When leaders are vulnerable, it is the people who, somewhere, are vulnerable too – this also applies to presidents, in France, where we are still in a good monarchy. Illness is unacceptable because when you are weak, you lose a little of your legitimacy to be at the top. In the case of the British monarchy, the question of legitimacy has already been raised. It was as if the crown was losing all its jewels little by little. He is no longer above scandals, he is not above suspicion, he is accused of high costs and more, he is sick: that is a lot.