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You might not care about Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, or you might not be able to tell the Prince of Wales from Paddington Bear. To many Americans, the public relations turmoil that hit the British royal family this week hardly seems like a scandal. However, there is a case here that concerns the hardships of the Windsor family. In addition to being one of the most powerful monarchies in the developed world, the Empire of Windsor is worth her $28 billion. And the disappearance of their most popular member, along with this week’s public uproar over how they handled the heavily Photoshopped images, has cracked the family’s once-impenetrable façade. It shows that
The Photoshop debacle is just the latest in a series of gaffes that have led to public distrust of royal media and the monarchy itself. As concerns grow over Kate Middleton’s whereabouts, it’s not just public perception that’s at stake for the royal family, but dissatisfaction could impact on the royal family’s vast wealth.
“The Royal Family’s business holdings include vast areas of land, property and investments. Although not ‘businesses’ in the traditional sense, their assets are influential and contribute significantly to their wealth and the British economy.” ” said Stacey Jones, founder and CEO of pop culture branding firm Hollywood Branded. luck. Furthermore, “their influence goes beyond mere economic influence to shape cultural and social norms.”
Where does the British Monarchy’s money come from?
‘The Firm’ – the most senior members of the royal family – are the face of a $28 billion empire that includes vast real estate holdings across the UK, including the Crown Estate, the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster. The latter two bring private income to the monarch.
The Duchy of Cornwall is currently ruled by Prince William, the eldest son of the British monarch (King Charles). The Principality’s main function is to administer the monarchy’s landholdings, which cover approximately 135,000 acres in the United Kingdom. Although William is not allowed to sell the duchy’s assets for personal gain, he can still receive the annual income generated by his landholdings. As of 2022, the principality’s assets were approximately $1.5 billion.
The Duchy of Lancaster, on the other hand, is a private estate consisting of a portfolio of land, real estate and assets held in trust for the sovereign. This includes countryside, farmland, urban developments, historic buildings and commercial properties in England and Wales. As of 2022, the property is worth approximately $831.5 million and generates $25.5 million in profit each year.
“There’s an argument that the royal family is the most important and influential person in all of Britain, other than the prime minister,” said Evan Nierman, founder and CEO of crisis PR firm Red Bunyan. . luck. “These are not ordinary people. They manage vast assets of immense value.”
In addition to royal wealth, the royal family also receives funding from the Royal Grant, a taxpayer-funded fund that pays the king his official expenses. From 2022 to 2023, King Charles will earn the equivalent of approximately $109 million from his grants, which will help fund the upkeep of his estate, pay staff, and pay for other royal duties such as lectures and visits. was allocated to.
Even Buckingham Palace has acknowledged that the British monarchy is “sometimes described as an expensive institution, with the royal family’s finances shrouded in chaos and secrecy.” They added: “The Royal Family is committed to ensuring that public money is spent as wisely and efficiently as possible and to making the Royal Family’s finances as transparent and understandable as possible.” However, many taxpayers are against this. Naysayers argue that public funds can be spent on other things that benefit the public, such as hiring nurses and teachers.Some say the costs of the monarchy negate Britain’s cost of living crisis
Still, it’s difficult to calculate exactly how much the royal family is worth to Britain. After all, even though the royal family is dependent on the nation, their celebrity status attracts media, creates memorabilia, attracts tourists, and generally raises the profile of the country. Noda. That’s why the PR crisis surrounding the Duchess of Cambridge could have a particularly negative impact on their public perception in the long term, potentially reducing their business and economic impact.
I missed it. What the heck is going on with Kate Middleton?
If you haven’t been following this week’s news about Duchess Kate and the conspiracy theories swirling around social media, you’ve probably slept better than most amateur sleuths out there.
In mid-January, Kensington Palace issued a statement informing the public that the Princess would be away from public life until Easter (the last weekend of March) due to “planned abdominal surgery.” But the news was quickly met with skepticism, with distrust of the palace only growing in the past two weeks after suspicious photos of Kate were released.
First, TMZ published a pixelated photo of a woman believed to be Kate wearing sunglasses in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton. But it was the photo released by Kensington Palace on Sunday, Mother’s Day in the UK, that really caused a stir. It featured the Princess of Wales and her three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. It was later killed by the Associated Press, Getty Images, Reuters, and other major news organizations after evidence emerged that it had been manipulated. Dozens of mistakes in the photo were pointed out by news outlets, photo experts, and online observers. Kensington Palace released a statement on Monday saying that Duchess Kate had placed responsibility for editing the photo on X.
Just a few hours after making this statement, daily mail Kate and William shared a photo of themselves in a car. Prince William was said to be on his way to Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service, while Duchess Kate was said to be heading to a “private engagement”. daily mail. This photo was also particularly blurry and only showed the back of Kate’s head. Online observers have studied this photo, comparing it to past photos of the princess and claiming that it too has been manipulated in some way, and that her image has been Photoshopped into it.
A steady trickle of suspicion, amplified by Kensington Palace’s missteps, now threatens to undermine the goodwill the royal family has enjoyed.
“Any perceived misstep or scandal could reduce public support and impact a family’s financial holdings,” Jones said. Simply put, taxpayers may be reluctant to spend money on institutions they don’t trust.
“The first rule of public relations is never to lie,” says Kyle Ankney, director of public relations at Wisteria PR. luck. “And in a world where ordinary people are more able than ever to distinguish truth from fiction, recent communications from the palace, or lack thereof, can have a lasting impact on every aspect of their business and public perception.” is very likely to be given.”
Mr Ankney believes there are only two ways for the royal family to overcome this problem. The first is to say nothing and hope that things will “return to normal levels over time” or that you can fully report all the facts of the situation when the time comes.
Mr Middleton, the media and the palace’s distrust
There’s not much more to Kate’s story than that, and it’s entirely possible that she just had surgery and needs some rest. What is unlikely is that public trust in the royal family will return to its previous high levels.
“Everything the royal family does is closely monitored by the public,” Nierman said. “While their fortunes are not greatly threatened by the PR crisis, the problem is that it will shape the way society views them.” Later, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan and now Duchess Kate’s photo A huge amount of time and energy needs to be spent to diffuse a crisis such as a shop scandal.”
But other experts don’t think the crisis will permanently damage the royal family’s reputation.
Duchess Kate’s failings “will cause a short-term disruption to the trust, but the trust will continue unless there are further errors by the royal family.” [be] It was rebuilt in a year,” said Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants. luck. Indeed, Schiffer said he expected Kensington Palace to “avoid new self-imposed mistakes and refocus on advancing issues and policies that are meaningful to the public.”
Another unique relationship is that between the royal family and the press, which Jones says has historically been very “symbiotic.” But it’s a delicate balance.
“Without loving coverage, the royal family’s fan base would be smaller. Without the fodder to keep the news machine running, no one would pay attention to the multibillion-dollar media machine,” Jones says. “The royal family often seems to perceive media coverage to be unfair or invasive. But they are symbiotic and certainly need each other. The monarchy has adapted to its relationship with the media. , has evolved to manage
However, the press is now beginning to mistrust the information provided by the palace. In fact, French-based news agency AFP has labeled Kensington Palace “absolutely” not a “reliable source of information” following the Duchess Kate’s Photoshop scandal.
“If it’s seen as manipulation, it can quickly become controversial,” Jones said. Additionally, the rapid spread of information requires rapid responses to controversy and misinformation. The pedestal you fall on is now even higher. ”
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