© Marlieke van Marrewijk
Royal House 2.0: the strategy with which the Cambridges want to increase their popularity
Prince William and Duchess Kate are working hard to modernize the monarchy.
Moving with the times can be tricky when your head of state is 95 years old (and viewers of The Crown know that as early as the 1950s, Queen Elizabeth was criticized for being “too old-fashioned”). So it’s up to Kate and Will to catch up.
New strategy
Gone are the days when celebrity status was reserved for movie stars and musicians. The biggest and most influential celebrities of the moment gained their fame thanks to the internet. Influencers, YouTubers, TikTokkers, you name it. Prince William and Duchess Kate seem to realize that their future could also depend on their popularity on the internet.
That has become all too clear in recent weeks. It all started with a sweet video that Kate and William upload from their family in honor of their tin wedding anniversary. Shortly afterwards, under the guise of ‘better late than never’, they released their first-ever YouTube video, promising to share more footage with the world in the future. The next step was to change their Instagram name. The somewhat obscure ‘Kensington Royal’ was renamed the more recognizable ‘Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.’ All indicators that the Cambridges are now really taking their presence on the internet seriously.
Royal influencers
Because why pay a working visit in front of a handful of spectators when the whole world can watch? While their visit to Scotland last week, William and Kate’s social media channels were continuously updated. An Insta-Story here, a candid snapshot there: according to royals expert Katie Nicholl, it is part of a grand plan to modernize the monarchy.
“A more digital royal family has been planned for some time,” Katie says. “At first the changes were relatively slow, but the pandemic has really accelerated everything.”
According to the royalty expert, it is a necessary step for the monarchy to survive: “Connecting with a younger audience is the way to keep the family safe. If you can get the masses behind you, then it is the future of the monarchy insured.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were already very popular on social media before their departure from the royal family. So when the Sussex guys left for the United States, Kate was quick to snare the mastermind behind their accounts, David Watkins. And just last month, the Cambridges had a vacancy open for a communications officer with the necessary experience in the field of social media. It’s clear which way they want to go!
Growing popularity
Although Kate & Will currently have nothing to complain about. In any case, they are already doing a lot better on the worldwide web than the upcoming royal couple, prins Charles and Camilla. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have over 12.8 million followers on Instagram. And that while the crown prince is followed by ‘only’ 1.4 million. According to Nick Rogers, expert on influencing marketing, the royals have to show a little more of themselves if they really want to achieve something.
“The most successful people on social media are those who present themselves with integrity and truthfulness. The younger audience is very keen on authenticity, so William and Kate shouldn’t stray too far from who they really are.”
At the same time, it remains the royals: they will not soon share their bloopers, lows or slightly embarrassing selfies with their followers. Although we would really only really like it if one day it did.
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