Royal Flush (#426)
The recent situation surrounding Catherine, Princess of Wales offers a clear case study in crisis management and communications
I rarely, if ever, think about the British Royal family.
With that said, they do occupy a unique position in our global culture, often finding themselves at the center of scrutiny and debate well beyond the United Kingdom. Recently, the royals were embroiled in a particularly intense controversy with a tragic ending—and valuable lessons for leaders outside the royal court.
The trouble began when Catherine, Princess of Wales—more colloquially known as Kate Middleton—suddenly withdrew from the public eye in early January. Known for her consistent public presence, Kate’s abrupt absence quickly fueled widespread speculation and a media frenzy. Though the royals shared in January that Kate had undergone surgery and would not make any public appearances until Easter, that explanation did little to tamp down speculation in the media and on social media.
By February, the rumor mills went into full swing. Things reached a fever pitch in March after the Royal Family released a photo of Kate and her three children that was quickly identified to have been doctored in several ways.
Her hand seemingly forced by the picture, Kate announced on March 22 that she’d been diagnosed with cancer identified during the surgery and was undergoing chemotherapy. Kate explained that the family’s silence on the topic was partly due to Kate’s sensitivity in sharing the news with her young children.
While one could argue that much of the speculation around Kate’s withdrawal was unfounded, even irresponsible, this situation offers several lessons for leaders of all organizations, not just ones who wear cloaks and crowns.
Understand Your Credibility Surplus & Deficit
When managing a crisis, start with a simple question: how much credibility do you have with your audience? If you’ve built trust in your team or constituents through effective, truthful communications in the past, you can expect your words to be taken at face value, even if you are a bit vague. However, if you are in a trust deficit with your audience—for example, if you’ve misled people in the past, or downplayed a bad situation and got burned for it later—you need to recognize that anything you say will prompt speculation and questions.
The Royal Family, after enduring major controversies in the past several years, should have recognized that they had a trust deficit with the public and would not get the benefit of the doubt.
Share The Best Version of The Truth
This is an adage I have always shared with my kids and my teams.
The Royal Family led with secrecy in managing Kate’s health situation. Their attempts to downplay the situation—likely aimed at protecting the Princess or projecting an image of family strength—turned out to be a poor decision.
Early on, the royals should have led with the best version of the truth: sharing that Kate experienced complications from her surgery that would require a more extended recovery than planned, and she would be out of public for a few months. This approach, accompanied by a request for privacy, would have been more likely to quell public speculation.
It’s natural to try to control the narrative and downplay bad news. But in leadership, it’s often better to share something that is true and incomplete, rather than an inaccurate story that can be proven false later.
Be Consistent and Trustworthy
Most damagingly, the Royal Family suddenly deviated from their strategy of keeping Kate out of the public eye when they decided to release a doctored photo of her. It was a botched attempt at damage control after she had not been seen in public for months, an absence that was not easily explained by a routine procedure.
Had the Royal Family simply followed the approach above—stating that Kate was dealing with complications from her surgery and needed the privacy and space any person would want in that situation—they likely would’ve received a more empathetic response. In fact, the reaction to Kate’s announcement has been overwhelmingly sympathetic. People see her as fallible and human, and many have even acknowledged their mistakes in speculating on her situation.
The handling of this situation serves as a potent reminder of several of the foundational pillars of effective leadership: awareness, vulnerability and consistency. It’s crucial to remember that the truth somehow always finds its way to the surface and it's almost always better to be ahead of the truth, not behind it.
Quote of The Week
“The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.” - Elvis Presley
Have a great weekend!
New For Premium Subscribers
How would you compare this to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin keeping his illness a secret and later having to give an explanation to the public and an apology to the US administration?
Well said. I will keep it in mind in my own life.
my heart aches for Catherine, Princess of Wales and her family. I wish her the best and that she has a full recovery