Video reveals Kate’s cute nickname for Prince Louis amid public relations masterstroke
The youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales is known for his funny faces and adorable antics, now royal fans have clued in to the sweet endearment Kate uses for him.
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Lying on the beach, Princess Catherine gazes lovingly at her husband before the future king later leans over her and plants a huge kiss on his beloved wife.
The couple’s adorable three children frolic in the woodlands near the family’s Norfolk summer home, with daredevil Prince Louis climbing a huge tree while Prince George squints at the camera and asks “Is this filming?”
Meanwhile, Princess Catherine embraces daughter Princess Charlotte with maternal love and gratitude as she explains in her voiceover how “life can change in an instant”.
It is an intimate, warm and touching scene that would have been unimaginable in royal circles just a few years ago due to its candid insight. And it’s the latest chapter in Princess Catherine and Prince William’s carefully orchestrated public relations campaign, which has had them turn royal convention on its head since the much-loved royal’s shock cancer revelation.
The release of Princess Catherine’s slickly produced video, in which she announced she was in remission after completing her chemotherapy treatment, has well and truly shifted the PR game for the royal family and how its members communicate with the public.
PR experts are calling the move a masterstroke from a couple that has weathered the most devastating storm over the past nine months with both Catherine’s cancer battle and King Charles’ health crisis.
The cinematic video heralds an unprecedented move to a new era of openness for the royals, which was kickstarted with Catherine’s initial video last March in which she revealed her shock cancer diagnosis to the world.
Royal watchers have clued in to a number of heartwarming and intimate detail, such as the nickname Kate uses for Prince Louis.
When the opening frams show the family walking through a forest, she can be heard calling out to her youngest son, “Lou-bugs, you lead the way!”
For the royal family, this is new territory and signals how future king William and his wife are changing the game ahead of their eventual ascension to the throne.
In contrast to the new “all is revealed” approach, the late Queen Elizabeth long ruled surrounded by an aura of mystique, which observers say was a huge part of her appeal to the public.
An infamous 1969 fly-on-the-wall BBC documentary, which aimed to show the Queen, Prince Philip and their children as real people, was watched by millions when it was broadcast but backfired spectacularly.
The late Queen was affronted at the exposure from the Royal Family documentary and is said to have ordered that the film be hidden away in a vault – it has never seen the light of day since.
Fast forward to 2024 and the scene in today’s Instagram-savvy age could not be more different.
Princess Catherine’s video was shot by William Warr, the creative director of Detail Films, which says it combines film production techniques and strategic marketing to create “beautiful branded films”.
“We exist to help brands tell stories that speak to their audience,” the firm says on its website.
By speaking to their audience, the Prince and Princess of Wales are gaining new ground and have executed a masterclass in public relations strategy, leading PR expert Nicole Reaney, the founder of InsideOut Public Relations, said.
“I think it’s a great move. I would position it as a PR masterstroke stroke — the video is personal, emotional, sensitive and reflective – a stark contrast from conventional royal communication,” she said.
“For the first time, we get a glimpse into their family life and we witness their warmth and affection and can actually connect with them and what they have been facing.
“Catherine’s calming voice and cinematic format – draws us in – and we see them at a more ‘human’ level.
“The video evokes many emotions – understanding, compassion, inspiration, and sincerity.”
Ms Reaney said the couple’s PR strategy had undergone a huge turnaround since Princess Catherine’s life-changing health struggles and their recent campaign has been “orchestrated magnificently”.
“I think prior to her announcing the diagnosis, there really was a complete lack of control in the narrative, and she’s really mastered that control and given us a softer glimpse into family life,” Ms Rainey said.
She said Catherine and William’s new approach was in a similar vein to the shifting personas of Australian-born royal Queen Mary and King Frederik, who have recently wowed fans with their public displays of affection and loved-up behaviour.
“I think generally, there is a trend toward, public figures taking a more personal approach to the way they communicate and doing in a way where it’s not so impersonal,” Ms Reaney said.
As for the royal pair’s continuing publicity war with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which stepped up again after the Sussexes released a teaser for their new Netflix series just hours after Princess Catherine’s video was posted, there remains one huge difference in the approach of the warring couples.
“I think the difference has been Princess Catherine has been hugely dignified in this whole journey,’ Ms Reaney said.
“She hasn’t, taken advantage of her profile to gain further publicity, she actually stepped back and gave her statement and moved away until she completed her journey and then has come back with an update that gives us full insight into what’s happening.
“Whereas I think the difference with Harry and Meghan is that there always seems to be some ulterior motive.”
The royal also handled her cancer battle in a much more positive way than former supermodel Elle Macpherson, the PR expert said, with Catherine taking a more considered approach.
“I think if you are a public figure making statements that go against conventional scientific medical practices that can just put you into testy water,” Ms Reaney said.
Dr Louise Mahler, a leading communication and body language commentator, said the inclusion of the three royal children in the video — seen by royal observers a show of strength for the future of the monarchy — was extremely moving.
“Kate is the best of the best — like watching a true movie star giving an outstanding performance, I found myself immersed in this film with floods of tears for her as an individual, as a partner to William, as a mother to her gorgeous children and as a person of public duty,” she said
“There are lots of touching moments, kissing, cuddling, smiling, and laughing with the care and love shared between them obvious to all.
“The whole family look so happy, even if Kate is a little pensive at times and William looking like it’s all been an incredible trial. All perfectly natural as it has been an ordeal, and as a family and as a couple they have come through brilliantly.”
Originally published as Video reveals Kate’s cute nickname for Prince Louis amid public relations masterstroke
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