The Princess of Wales has begun her fightback after Netflix insult by Meghan Markle
The Princess of Wales is seeing off rival Meghan Markle in a carefully controlled but devastatingly effective way. See how she’s doing it.
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When Meghan Markle accused her of being two faced in her Netflix docu-series with Prince Harry, a switch flicked in Catherine the Great.
The so-called “formality first”, “non-hugging” Princess of Wales set about giving critics – and any member of the public who might dare to believe the claim true – a taste of her real royal self.
The 41-year-old was not going to take such a personality slander lying down; instead she launched a fierce and sublimely-orchestrated PR charm offensive, fuelled by a new team of supporters.
No tears, no complaints. The world would see her as the bigger person, smiling and laughing at every outing.
The fightback was on in the most dignified, “keep calm and carry on” way.
“She has upped her media opportunities and feels a lot more approachable in her selfie videos on her social media pages – she’s great, she’s a natural. The British people – and the Americans – love her, and she has what it takes to become Queen,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwillaims said.
Jaws dropped when she arrived at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards in a white Jenny Packham dress and shoulder-length black satin opera gloves. Yes, she had worn the frock before but that was the point – during a cost-of-living crisis, royals too could reinvigorate.
She again showed herself as a princess of the people, respectfully covering her head with a scarf, as she and Prince William thanked Muslim communities for their fundraising efforts following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
It spoke volumes for those around her – the army of people working tirelessly behind the scenes to boost her wardrobe, hair, makeup, fitness, social media and overall image.
And the public loves it, with the Princess of Wales now considered the most popular royal. Her public approval in a poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies last week was at 52 per cent, well ahead of Ms Markle at -33 per cent.
“You could argue that her polished image is a natural progression, of course, and Catherine has had years to get used to the royal family and becoming Queen, but a lot of what she is doing is deliberate and no doubt subliminally influenced by the fallout with her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle,” Mr Fitzwillaims said.
“Catherine and Meghan are worlds apart – they couldn’t be more different. Catherine has taken to her new title as Princess of Wales seamlessly, where Meghan has struggled to fit in from almost the beginning.”
IMAGE
Dressed in a trouser suits, elegant gowns and power dresses, the Princess of Wales has ramped up the sartorial stakes.
The recent recruitment of branding and marketing guru Alison Corfield as her new private secretary has had a significant bearing on her rebrand.
The 51-year-old PR guru and mother of three is said to be part of the palace’s modernisation plan and brings enormous private sector experience. Ms Corfield was Jamie Oliver’s head of campaigns for five years until 2020. Before that she worked with Labour MP Stella Creasy, after 13 years at Virgin Atlantic, where she started as a flight attendant and rose through the ranks to become Brand Director of Virgin Media.
Ms Corfield replaced former diplomat and foreign office official Hannah Cockburn-Logie. She left the role last year after almost three years as the Princess of Wales’ right-hand woman.
EXERCISE AND DIET
The Princess is a keen sportswoman who is naturally athletic with a 24 inch (61 centimetre) waist.
She is reportedly a fan of CrossFit and yoga, goes running most days with the family dog Lupo, bounces on the trampoline with her children and enjoys cycling, archery and still keeps her membership at Harbour Club in Chelsea, a swanky space in West London where her mother-in-law Diana worked out.
She enjoys sailing, skiing, callisthenics, skipping, indoor rowing and one-hour intense interval training sessions.
For diet, she has sporadically enlisted the help of “figure magician” Louise Parker, whose methods she reportedly followed after the birth of Prince George.
The Louise Parker Method coaches people to think about weight loss as a lifestyle change rather than a diet, and favours Mediterranean ingredients.
The princess took over last year as patron of England’s Rugby League and has been spotted playing tennis at the smart Hurlingham Club in London.
Days ago, she beat Prince William in an indoor bike spin race. Brother-in-law Mike Tindall has said: “She can run all day – she’s an engine.”
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Behind her glamorous Hollywood veneer is one of the best make-up artists in the business – Hannah Martin. A master of the smokey eye look, it is unclear how long Ms Martin has been working with Princess Catherine.
Ms Martin is a bona fide beauty influencer, with 307,000 Instagram followers. She was a Bobbi Brown ambassador in 2011.
She also did Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s make-up during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
Princess Kate’s hair stylist Amanda Cook Tucker delivers her famously bouncy James Bond girl look. She has looked after her hair since 2012, the year after she got married.
But the Princess still frequents Richard Ward’s Chelsea salon for colour.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Gone are the stiff announcements from her royal office; the Princess of Wales has transformed her social media pages and is highlighting passion projects.
After setting up the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 in January, she went on to announce Shaping Us – an initiative highlighting the importance of the first five years of a child’s life – in January.
In a strategic leap forward, she posted a video message on Instagram about the launch, passionately espousing her views of parenting.
Her Instagram is a delight to scroll – there are images of her meeting troops at a defence base in full Army greens, greeting the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway, visiting a 109-year-old at a nursing home in Slough, in southern England, and smiling alongside kids for Children’s Mental Health Week.
PR OPPORTUNITIES
The Princess’s Assistant Private Secretary is Natalie Barrows, who oversees her schedules and travel. She is responsible for briefing the royal on who she will meet at public events.
Ms Corfield has already brought more public relations bells and whistles into the mix – among them, slick cinema advertising, social media and billboard campaigns.
The messaging is critical too. And together with the Prince of Wales, charity work and environmental commitments are being positioned as core to the brand.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to spend the Coronation bank holiday volunteering with some of the UK’s largest charities.
They will likely join in ‘The Big Help Out’ on May 8, a tribute to the King’s history of public service and his commitment to preserve the planet.
The couple are also behind the Earthshot Prize, an independent charity which awards five people annual grants to continue their environmental work.
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