The decision by the Royal Family not to comment on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix ... [+]
The decision by the Royal Family not to comment on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix docu-series draws attention to important questions CEOs and their staff must grapple with when responding to a crisis at their organizations: what, if anything, should they say about the situation, and when and how should they say it?
The Risks Of Staying Quiet
It’s doubtful the Royal Family’s latest PR strategy would work in the business world, where companies and organizations face more accountability, scrutiny, risks, and consequences for their words and actions—or failure to say or do something about a crisis.
One crisis communication school of thought holds that silence can be construed as tacit acknowledgement or agreement with the allegations of others. And the longer a company delays in refuting charges, the more likely it is that the accusations will become conventional wisdom and harder to deny later.
Indeed, a corporate tight-lipped approach to a crisis could actually prolong or make a crisis worse and provoke an outcry from the public, consumers, and investors. Adidas for example, was criticized for not immediately distancing itself from the racist and anti-semitic remarks of rapper Kanye West.
“The German footwear giant said at the start of this month that its partnership was under review—but since then has not issued any updates and continues to release new Yeezy merchandise, even as the rapper doubles down on antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories,” NPR reported in October.
Adidas eventually spoke out against West and announced it had terminated its partnership with the singer.
A Different Approach
The Palace’s silence today contrasts to how it responded to other crisis situations.
‘Unacceptable’ Comments
Last month,”A charity boss experienced a ‘violation’ after being questioned multiple times about her heritage during an ‘insulting’ conversation with Prince William's godmother at Buckingham Palace, she said in social media posts,” according to Newsweek.
“Buckingham Palace said the comments were ‘unacceptable’ and that [Lady Susan] Hussey had ‘stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect,’” the news ouutlet said.
Expressing Concerns Over Allegations
In 2021, the late Queen Elizabeth “sought to draw a line under damaging racism claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, saying that issues will be dealt with ‘privately’ by the royal family,” The Guardian reported.
“The monarch expressed her ‘concern’ over allegations of racism and her sadness on learning exactly how challenging the couple had found life as working royals, though she said some recollections of events differed,” the newspaper said.
No Consensus
Britain's then- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales proceeds through the Royal Gallery during the State ... [+]
An informal survey of crisis management and public relations experts found no consensus about the wisdom of Buckingham Palace’s crisis communication strategy for dealing with the allegations that have been made or repeated in the headline-making Netflix series.
A Missed Opportunity
“By not commenting on the content of the accusations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Buckingham Palace has missed a chance to further clarify, to Britons and to the world, that it understands the monarchy’s long and troubled history on matters of race,” Dave Quast, an adjunct instructor at USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism and a crisis communications expert at the crisis communications firm Red Banyan, said via email.
“While the Palace’s communication on issues of the day is always measured, as it must be, this would be a golden opportunity to highlight any positive steps that are being taken to address some of the problems that Meghan and Harry have highlighted if such steps are indeed being taken,” he advised.
‘Probably The Correct Reaction’
“It appears Buckingham Palace has taken a 'no comment' response to the documentary, and that’s probably the correct reaction,” John Goodman, CEO of John Goodman PR, said via email.
“Any comment from the Palace would just exacerbate the situation and call more attention to the film and Harry and Meghan’s charges against the Royal Family. Preserving the institution and the crown is more important to King Charles and Prince William than addressing the accusations, which may or may not be true,” he observed.
‘The Prudent Route’
“The boiling cauldron that is Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, butting heads with Buckingham Palace promises to be a long-lasting ‘he said/she said affair,”Kirk Hazlett, an adjunct communication professor at the University of Tampa, said via email.
“Buckingham Palace has taken the prudent route by avoiding direct conflict and not dragging out what could be an unwinnable battle. Statements to the effect of ‘We're sorry you feel that you were wronged’ show the human side of ‘The Firm’ without, again, suggesting possible guilt,” he noted.
‘A Lesson In Restraint’
“Their reaction is no surprise. Buckingham Palace and the royal family have a history of silence when it comes to public relations issues. It would be more newsworthy if they did have a formal reaction because that would indicate an increased level of concern on their part,” Elaine Kapogines. a PR strategist and owner of public relations agency Wilshire Media, said via email.
“The Palace's response really does illustrate that sometimes the best reaction is no reaction. In the world we live [in] oftentimes a public reaction to a delicate situation will fan the flames and prolong the public conversation,” she commented.
“In some cases, silence can be perceived in a positive light and… seen as ‘taking the high road.’ We often watch leaders in crisis situations respond in haste, and there are a lot of example where the statement backfired and made the situation exponentially worse than if they had just stayed silent. Buckingham Palace's response can be viewed as a lesson in restraint,” Kapogines concluded.
Bombshells To Come?
“In the end, the series offers no massive revelations or bombshells yet,” according to CNN.
“In watching the first few episodes, you get the sense that it may be setting the scene for fireworks next week,” the news organization reported. “Particularly when you remember that one of the trailers had a major claim that the palace was planting stories against the Sussexes in the press. That wasn’t addressed in this first volume from Netflix, so any bombshells the palace fears may still be yet to come.”
It remains to be seen whether the Royal Family’s decision not to comment about the Netflix series will stay in place when the rest of the episodes are aired.
