A PR expert has described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s strong rebuke of a new royal book as an unwise strategy that ultimately harms their image.
Sussexes Denounce Upcoming Book
The couple’s spokesperson issued a detailed statement last weekend, rejecting several explosive allegations in Tom Bower’s forthcoming book. Parts of the book, serialized in The Times magazine, level accusations against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, their ties with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Invictus Games.
The statement asserts: “Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation. This is someone who has publicly stated, ‘the monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,’ language that speaks for itself. He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
PR Analysis: Reinforces Negative Perceptions
Renae Smith, founder and director of Atticism, views the response as damaging. She explains that the statement’s scathing tone, detail, and emotional weight weaken their position against such a publication.
Smith notes these criticisms align with existing public views on the couple’s ego, control, image management, and self-focus. “That is why this kind of material is damaging. It is not introducing an entirely new scandal. It is reinforcing the line that already exists. And from a reputational point of view, that can be even more harmful, because repetition hardens perception. It takes an existing vibe and darkens it,” she states.
She recommends silence as a stronger tactic, drawing on the late Queen’s method of withholding comment to starve attention. “Harry and Meghan, on the other hand, have engaged in a way that gives the book more attention, not less,” Smith adds.
Bower’s Counterpoint
Tom Bower responds that the Sussexes face challenges in Hollywood due to their behavior, lack of original talent, and self-importance. He suggests they return to Britain in July to meet the King and regain royal validation.
