The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

280: The Hidden Meanings Behind Kate Middleton's Cancer Journey Video

September 18, 2024 • Molly McPherson

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In this episode of The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson, Kate Middleton’s health update video is more than just an announcement. It’s a masterclass in PR, packed with hidden symbolism and subtle storytelling designed to reshape the public perception of the royal family.

Uncover ten key meanings behind the visuals, from Kate in the driver’s seat to the color blue, and explore how Kate and William are distancing themselves from Harry and Meghan as they face ongoing branding challenges.

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© 2024 The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

As the summer comes to an end. I cannot tell you what a relief it is. To have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.

it.

And as the summer comes to an end, we are just getting started on the onslaught of announcements, news stories, scandals and updates like this important one from Kate Middleton. She didn't just update the world on her health, she delivered a carefully crafted message packed with hidden symbolism and subtle PR moves.

In just three minutes, the Princess of Wales reframed her family's image and gave us a glimpse into the future of the monarchy. Welcome to the PR breakdown with Molly McPherson. Today we're going to break down a truly strategic move from Kate Middleton in Kensington palace. Her recent health update video was more than just a personal announcement.

It was a masterclass in PR loaded with symbolic gestures and subtle storytelling that left a lasting impact on the public and me. Let's dive into what Kensington palace was really up to in those three short minutes. This video that was delivered to me by my friend Doug, he sent it in an email and told me I had to just drop what I was doing and watch it.

And he was right, because the video marked a very dramatic shift in how the royal family wanted to communicate their subtle changes. The reframing this video posted to YouTube was a strategic move to reset the public perception of Kate, of Prince William and their family. If you remember, back in April, that's when we received the last health date about Kate Middleton.

At that time, I did a lot of press around Kate Middleton because I was doing a lot of posts on TikTok and I happened to be doing it on the road. So it was a particularly dicey time for me. But I was spending a lot of time really looking for the moves that they were trying to make out of Kensington palace.

Starting m in January. For the months that led into the spring, Kensington palace, for lack of better word, botched the news about Kate's health. Now, understandable that any organization is going to struggle with an announcement that they want to keep under wraps and certainly the future queen of England having a significant health challenge, like cancer, even though we don't know what type of cancer that is going to be.

A bit of news that they're going to keep close to the vest. However, they tried to pull a fast one on the public, and nowadays, everyone knows you can't do that, particularly with social media. So a lot of my commentary, including my articles that I wrote in Forbes, I will post a link, uh, in the show notes, kind of talked about how they mismanaged that PR rollout that led to a video statement from Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.

Then that led to another article with a photograph from Kate in June. That update had her in the woods. And I did a TikTok post about that as well. I'll include that post in the show notes, but this video really marked that change. It's as if they were turning a page on the past on bad comms.

And by the way, they're also hiring for a new strategic communication person. So I don't know if this video sent someone over the edge that they had to leave or if they were fired, but it may also mark, uh, a new approach, that they need more strategic people, they need more people on staff to manage it, because it is so critical.

There is nothing more important than trust in any organization, whether it's a company or a royal family, because if you lose it, you lose a lot. And a lot is at stake. In this episode, let's uncover the hidden meanings from her new ring to the release of a Butterfly, and how this short video was designed to reshape the future image of the monarchy.

The video also shows that Kate and William continue to distance themselves from Harry and Meghan, while the Sussexes continue to face challenges. Now, it's a trademark issue with Meghan's american Riviera Orchard brand. I'll get to more of that in a moment. I also want to share some of the things that my Patreon members had to say about this video.

Now, let's break down the video and the big idea behind it. As I mentioned earlier, this three minute or so video has the Princess of Wales in an image using a lot of symbolism and storytelling, and in both, it conveyed not only vulnerability, but strength. It wasn't just the update on the health, but also a message of resilience, of love, of family and hope for the future king and queen.

The video showcased how Kate and William are not just royals, but a family navigating a life challenge together. This was their way of reconnecting with the public on a more emotional level, while subtly steering the narrative in a new direction, which is towards renewal and stability. I watched the video a few times.

I read news articles. I combed through all the comments on my Patreon to come up with ten hidden meanings that you may have seen or missed. So this wasn't just a personal update, it was a masterclass in PR. So let's unpack the carefully chosen symbols and messages that Kensington palace used to reshape how we see the royal family and what it tells us about the future of the monarchy and the health of Kate Middleton.

Oh, and Harry and Meghan. Here are the ten hidden meanings one and I found this to be the most telling shot in the video, and that is Kate Middleton in the driver's seat. It was one of the most symbolic moments in the video because you see Kate behind the wheel, carefree, hair blowing of the family.

SUV. And it's not just a casual shot. It's a visual representation of her taking control of her health and her life again after that long and uncertain journey of her cancer treatment, and also a lot of it unknown to the public. But the message is clear. She's ready to resume her duties and take charge.

How much will we see her? We don't know. But this video gives them a kind of an out. It allows Kate to stay behind the scenes. But that shot of her in the car, she's definitely ready, though, to take charge when it matters. And that suV, it's no coincidence it's a Land Rover.

A, uh, possible nod to the late Queen Elizabeth. We saw her in the Land Rover, and you could tell that it gave her independence even in her later years. So by showing Kate driving through, I believe, their estate, the video subtly connects her to the queen's legacy of strength and resilience.

And it, uh, reinforces Kate's role as a future leader of the monarchy, essentially replacing Queen Elizabeth two, the overall use of nature as a theme. Nature is a constant presence throughout the video, from the forest scenes to Kate walking through a field of wheatshe, the nature shot symbolize renewal and healing.

It, uh, reinforces the idea that Kate has found solace, perhaps, and strength in the natural world while she's in recovery. It also connects back to her advocacy, perhaps, for mental health. Walking outdoors is so beneficial for people in their mental health. I know this is my big kick. This is my fall of walking and being outdoors.

Every single day, I am out, I am in the sun, because I need to reconnect with nature myself. I'm not going through a health journey like Kate by any means, but I live it. Three, the tree, a part of nature. We saw Kate next to a tree in the photograph that accompanied the personal message that Kate shared.

In June. I did a post on TikTok about that, how in the lighting you can see the light come down, but she's still deep in the woods, so it doesn't mean she's not quite out of the woods yet. But early in this video, Kate is shown standing at the base of a large tree.

Again, trees long symbolized life, growth, resilience, and in many cases, strength, which aligns perfectly with her message of surviving cancer, of moving forward. We don't know exactly where she is in her journey, but we know that she is giving us a message of survival, or at least hope. It also could be a metaphor for the royal family itself, rooted in tradition, yet always growing, evolving.

Maybe I don't know. But I don't know, just maybe. I don't know. It's my theory. Next. Number four. Did you spot it? The new ring. Instead of wearing her famous sapphire engagement ring given to her as a gift from William, something that his mother, Princess Diana, wore, it was her engagement ring.

Kate is wearing a new eternity band. Eternity bands symbolizing love, endurance, and that unbreakable bond. So this not only signals her renewed strength, but also highlights her connection with William and perhaps their evolving relationship through the challenges they face together. Like the health challenges, the rumors back during the months when no one knew where Kate was, there was a lot of chatter about William's behavior, and was he supporting Kate or nothing?

There was some lingering gossip about Rose Hanbury, who was a friend of Kate's. They were two couples that lived near each other, near the, uh, estate. And then all of a sudden, there was a falling out because there was a lot of speculation that William was with Rose Hanbury.

We don't hear much of it now. Back during those months in the early spring, Rose Hanbury came out with a statement stating that she had no relationship with William, and we haven't heard much of her since. But an eternity ring, that sends a very, very strong message. It wasn't the first time we saw the ring.

She also wore it in a video shared to social media, congratulating the team from Great Britain, the Olympians. That's when she was wearing the nautical sweater, if you saw that. Uh, but that's where she first wore that. Eternity band number five, the color blue. It was everywhere throughout the video.

Kate, William, all three kids dressed in blue. Variations of blue, stripes of blue, nautical blue. Blue is a color that represents trust, calm and stability, likely a deliberate choice to convey a sense of security and continuity, reinforcing that the future king and queen are dependable figures for the british public during this time of uncertainty.

Someone from my Patreon said, blue. Always trust the person in blue. And in this case, it's the family. Throughout the video and even the shots of the sea, I mean, it looks absolutely beautiful. And I remarked in my TikTok that it reminded me of Cape Cod. And then someone snarked and said, oh, typical of Americans that they always think everything is America, uh, when it was, you know, obviously off the coast of the UK.

But point is, it was beautiful. All right, number six, just go with me here on this one. I read it, uh, in a lot of places online as well. But there is a shot, you see Kate holding a butterfly. A butterfly, a symbolic creature. In a symbolic moment in the video, because she's releasing the butterfly.

So butterflies, universally seen as symbols of transformation from cocoon to beautiful butterfly wings, hope new beginnings. This image reinforces the idea that Kate is emerging from a difficult chapter, stronger and more hopeful, just as a butterfly transforms from a cocoon into something beautiful and free, but not too free where she's leaving William, but free enough where she's free from cancer.

Continuing with the nature trend. Number seven, the ferns. Now, I did not pick up on this, I have to admit. I pulled this from an article in town and country where they talked about the hidden meanings. They mentioned the ferns, that there are ferns throughout the video, and I didn't even recognize it until once I saw it.

Ferns symbolize endurance and resilience, unlike the ferns in my office, that I always forget to water, that are brittle and brown. And when I just came back from my trip, I went, oh, dear fern, we must water you. So we would never use the ferns, my ferns, for the Kate video.

But healthy ferns, ones that are watered again, represent that growth and survival in the face of adversity. Not the adversity of not being watered in Molly's office, but of cancer. Next, number eight, Kate's necklace. She's wearing a pendant necklace with the initials of her three kids. So there's a g, there's a c, and there's an l for George, Charlotte and Lewis.

So it shows that her family remains really at the center or at the heart, near the heart of her recovery journey. So it's a subtle detail that underscores the importance of family and how they've supported her through her illness, how their family is a unit together. Which brings me to number nine, which is William's role in this video.

The heaviest framing. It's not even subtle. It's look at William, the loving, supported husband. I mentioned earlier about the rumors with Rose Hanbury. But also William received a lot of grief for not appearing with Kate in the announcement video about cancer. I supported it. I was an outlier, I think, because a lot of people had a problem with William not being by her side and sitting there.

But I was looking at it more strategically from a comms point of view. What would you have William do in that video, as Kate is announcing her diagnosis, what she's going through, her cancer journey, speaking to cancer survivors now, like herself, William would just be sitting there. It would look strange, and it would be very difficult for him to sit there authentically.

You know, what would you do with yourself? And he could say something, but I personally think that they probably filmed something, perhaps with William, and it didn't work, or they just never had him from the get go. But here he is all over this video. He is depicted as Kate's rock, and also a little bit of her love thing.

I mean, they're hugging each other, they're rolling together like they've been married a long time with three kids. Uh, I don't know if there's that much love there at that point in a marriage, but we're being sold that it is. But it's a way to also show that he's offering support, but it's quiet support.

This is a good way where we see visually that William is supporting her. We see them embrace and share these intimate moments. A, ah, number of people on my patreon, uh, called it cringe. I won't disagree. Cause some of it was a little wincy to watch, but I get it.

I get it. I would do the same thing if I was scripting this. I'd have the same thing in there. And it also offers that rare glimpse into their personal life. So it shows a side of the relationship that the public rarely sees. Perhaps this is a new side.

Maybe they haven't been this way since college, St. Andrews, who knows? But for us, the public, it's a message of unity and partnership, and it's showing that they're facing this challenge together. And it's a great way for Kenzie no palace to show that William is by her side without any awkward video moments.

Number ten. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but I certainly noticed that the very first time I watched the video, there is a home movie style to it. With this grainy footage, the video's aesthetic resembles, at time, old fashioned home movies. Now, Kate and William, elder millennials, are at the age.

They're not of the home video age. They're digital natives. But it is a style that's reminiscent of family moments captured by previous members of the royal family, his parents, but also Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. So this choice not only evokes nostalgia, but also subtly connects Kate and William to the continuity of the monarchy.

It serves as a reminder that while they are modern royals, they are deeply rooted in the family traditions of the past. Or at least, uh, that's what I think. What lesson can be learned from this video? For one, it's a brilliant example of how using symbolism, narrative can shift public perception effectively through carefully chosen visuals and messages.

Kensington palace has reshaped how we see Kate, William, and their family. It's a message of renewal and strength and continuity. This was a moment to show the public that Kate and William, uh, are not just surviving. They are cliche, alert, thriving, and ready to lead the monarchy into the future.

Now, I did mention that I would add a piece on Harry and Meghan because I watched that video with the subtext in my mind about Harry and Meghan. You knew they weren't going to be in this video. There wasn't going to be any extended family. There's, there wasn't going to be a shot of then and them in a home with all the family photos behind them.

No. So as Kate and William are busy reshaping their. Image with this video that symbolizes unity and strength and love and renewal and intimacy. They're keeping their distance from Harry and Meghan, who have ongoing challenges. It doesn't end with them. So while the Prince and Princess of Wales are carefully crafting their public Persona to perfection, now Meghan Markle is facing yet another setback in branding, and that is the launching of her american Riviera orchard brand.

The us patent and Trademark Office recently denied her trademark application over issues with the local design, and it's sending her team, like, scrambling for a fix. It's yet another blunder coupled with, you know, earlier difficulties relating to the Sussex brand to begin with. You know, right when they left the royal family and went to Canada, they were launching this new brand.

They were monetizing their royal titles. And the queen or Prince Charles said, no, no, no, no, no, not so fast. If you look at the photos of the logo of American Riviera Orchard, the brand, it looks like a royal logo. It looks like the Sussex logo. The USPTO is saying, no, you cannot do this.

Now, we have this video with the prince and princess, and then we have Harry and Meghan. So it reflects contrasting trajectories of, uh, both couples. While Harry and Meghan continue to face their challenges, Kate and William are reinforcing their stability and reliability. This video subtly draws attention to the unity within their family, which is in stark contrast to the professional turbulence that Meghan and Harry are experiencing.

And granted, Harry and Meghan get more grief than they deserve. Meghan, particularly being mixed race, she is a black woman. She received a lot of grief for that as well. So I'm always mindful of that. But the two of them as a couple, they just can't seem to get out of their own way.

Harry and Meghan and their ventures are, uh, always. It seems problematic. And they go through a lot of people on their team. And I had someone tell me firsthand, someone who worked on their team told me that they were difficult to work for. So I think we're going to see more of that from Harry and Meghan and more of this stability and kind of forward facing media, social media, video, digital from William and Kate.

A few of the comments from my Patreon, as always, they're so insightful and also they make me laugh. There's a lot of strong opinions about this particular video, but there's also some funny snark in there as well, and just some funny commentary. One person said that it felt like a big pharma ad or a video that you would play at an annual meeting.

I think that's what made me laugh the hardest, because it's so true. The dreamy visuals and the upbeat tone. It looks like a commercial for medication. Or a video hype video for an annual meeting. One person said, quote, the intimacy is surprising, especially for a couple that's usually so private.

It feels like a calculated move to humanize them more, maybe even to get ahead of any lingering gossip. I think it works. Another member said that they were impressed with the strategic use of symbols, thus the tone and the theme of this episode. Quote, it's so clear that everything in this video was chosen for a reason.

The butterfly, the tree, it all ties back to the idea of transformation and renewal. End quote. I totally agree. And on the flip side, not everyone was convinced because one commenter said, quote, the PDA feels forced, like they're trying too hard to appear relatable. Uh, I also don't disagree.

Part of it is a little cringy to watch because the royal family, stoic, cold, distant, and now all of a sudden they're rolling around in the grass. It's new. It's a new take. It's definitely a new take, but one that is definitely a far departure from the days of the photoshop, of Kate and her Photoshop.

This video does offer a proof of life, but a very substantial one. I say always trust a person in blue. So what does this video really accomplish? Well, it shows that Kate and William are more than just figureheads. They're a family grounded in love, resilience and strength, and running on the beach and driving Land Rovers.

The use of hidden meanings and symbols help convey their journey through adversity and their readiness to embrace the future with renewed hope. It also pulls a page from the Taylor swifts of the world. Like these little Easter eggs. They want people to look at this video and pick it apart.

They wanted this podcast episode, but truly, I felt it was a masterstroke in reframing this royal family. It was subtle how it guided the public through the use of storytelling in imagery and music. Oh, it's beautiful. If you found this breakdown insightful, don't forget to subscribe or follow. Also leave a review and share it with anyone who's fascinated by PR strategy and media messaging like I am, and hopefully like you.

For those of you who want these types of deeper analyses, join me on, um, Patreon. Every week we have the weekly pr breakdown live. The community gets together and it is growing every single week. I usually start with a TikTok live and then I end up on Patreon. I try and schedule them different times during the day because we get people from all around the world, we get people from the UK, we get people who are reading the tabloids, the british tabloids, telling us stories about the royal family, but also Taylor Swift, also Sean Combs.

That's what we talked about today. Ooh, that was good. That will definitely be a future episode. All right, everyone, thanks so much for listening to the pr breakdown this week. We'll see you again, uh, next week. Bye for now.

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