If anyone has been in the middle of too many PR gaffes, it would have to be Prince Charles. For years, the heir to the British throne has found himself in the midst of endless
media maelstroms, including his excessively public love life, his barbed commentary on modern architecture and his irrationally exuberant support of organic farming. This week, we
drop in on Prince Charles to see if his PR problems are still reigning or if he is finally enjoying a long-overdue break from bad press.
| The PR Focus | Good PR or Bad PR? |
|---|---|
| On May 22, the day before Prince Charles was to address the World Health Assembly on the subject of promoting alternative treatments, 13
leading British scientists launched a campaign to urge the National Health Service to reject funding for research and treatments such as homeopathy and herbalism, claiming they were "unproven or disproved treatments." The Daily Mail observed the row with the headline "Charles at War with Doctors." |
GOOD PR: Prince Charles actually came out on top here, ignoring the scientists' by using reasonable and diplomatic language on the subject (he
called for co-existence between medical traditions, not the replacement of one by another). The scientists' slam against the prince also backfired when it was pointed out their timing was a little off: The National Health Service has funded homeopathic research and treatments since 1948. |
| Lord Carey, the retired Archbishop of Canterbury, gave a recent interview suggesting that Prince Charles' eventual coronation should be an
"interfaith" event with input from different religious groups. The comments created a minor brouhaha in Britain, where coronations have traditionally been an Anglican-only affair. Prince Charles, who would become the titular head of the Anglican Church upon becoming king, offered no comment on Lord Carey's remarks. |
GOOD PR: The prince has long been cognizant of Britain's multicultural society, at one point stating he would prefer to be given the title
"Defender of Faith" as opposed to the traditional (and Anglican exclusive) "Defender of the Faith." In his public appearances, Prince Charles has also gone out of his way to recognize the diversity of British culture. Lord Carey's remarks were made independently, but the lack of formal response suggests quiet royal support. |
| The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have announced plans to have a person in a bear costume follow Prince Charles on his
upcoming public appearances. This ursine shadow is to call attention to PETA's ongoing campaign to get Buckingham Palace to halt the use of bear fur on the hats of palace guards; PETA prefers the use of fake fur for this headgear. Another PETA bear has been tailing Queen Elizabeth II. |
BAD PR: For PETA, not for Prince Charles - he took this publicity stunt in good spirits, and he smiled and waved to the PETA bear while on a
recent state visit to India. While PETA is known for its wacky guerrilla PR strategies, the idea of having a person in a bear costume chasing Prince Charles to protest the Buckingham Palace headgear is almost (pardon the obvious pun) too un-bear-able to respect. |