Princess Kate’s sincere apology demonstrates her trustworthiness, says an expert. PR specialist Sophie Attwood made these comments after Kate publicly apologised for a Mother’s Day photo that was deemed “amateurish”.
The picture, featuring the Duchess with her three children, faced criticism due to some odd details, including a missing wedding ring. People on social media wondered if the plants in the background were unusual for the season and noticed that all the children had their fingers crossed. Several news outlets stopped using the photo, over fears it had been altered.
In response to the controversy, dubbed a social media storm, Kate apologised for any “confusion” and admitted she was responsible for the poorly received image. She said: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
Attwood, an expert, praised Kate’s apology as “authentic” and explained how it demonstrated her “trustworthiness”.
Speaking to Tatler, she said: “Trust and open communication are the key to the success of any brand, especially in an age where social media gives us more access to these people than ever before.
The Royal Family have done the right thing by addressing the situation with the honesty and openness that the public have come to know and expect.”, reports the Mirror.
The specialist, who penned Beautiful PR: Finding Your Brand’s Heartbeat For Authenticity In Communication, described the princess as “approachable and human”. She pointed out that this was partly because Kate ended the message with ‘C’.
“I also really like that this has been made to look like a very short apology, using the shorter character count on Twitter and making the situation seem less formal – acknowledging the stories but making it seem like it’s not a big deal,” Attwood added. “The steps that [the royals] have taken to clear up the confusion and reinforce the idea that they are trustworthy, honest and open will likely support this.”
Her remarks come at a time when the Royal Family is under scrutiny over issues of trust and transparency. Both Kate and King Charles have recently had health treatments, which is causing a challenging time for the family, as the public wonder if they are being kept in the dark.
The King has been diagnosed with cancer, and the mum is getting better from a big surgery on her tummy. Charles said recently: “I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
