{"id":814,"date":"2026-03-24T11:32:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T11:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/watchly.cc\/?p=814"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:32:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T11:32:32","slug":"prince-william-kate-middletons-relatable-royals-image-is-cracking-under-growing-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watchly.cc\/index.php\/2026\/03\/24\/prince-william-kate-middletons-relatable-royals-image-is-cracking-under-growing-criticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Prince William & Kate Middleton\u2019s \u2018Relatable\u2019 Royals Image Is Cracking Under Growing\u00a0Criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kate Middleton, Prince WilliamChris Jackson\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Scandal? What royal scandal? That seems to be the message\u00a0Prince William\u00a0and\u00a0Kate Middleton\u00a0is sending during their public appearances these days \u2014 and not everyone is pleased with this\u00a0\u201cnothing-to-see-here\u201d PR strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0<\/em>criticized\u00a0their \u201ctone-deaf roboticism\u201d over the past few weeks in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor\u2019s arrest. They\u2019ve carried on down\u00a0the red carpet of the BAFTA Awards\u00a0and celebrated St. Patrick\u2019s Day, but there\u2019s only been a one-sentence statement about the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims,\u201d the couple\u2019s spokesperson\u00a0told\u00a0People<\/em>\u00a0on February 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kate Middleton, Prince William.Jaimi Joy-WPA Pool\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their lack of action isn\u2019t sitting well with many people, including the Daily Mail<\/em>, which generally features positive coverage of the palace. \u201cWilliam and Kate\u2019s down-with-the-people routine \u2013 ordinary, relatable, open and honest about mental health, cancer, being parents \u2013 rings hollow when they keep schtum over a senior member of their family behaving badly,\u201d columnist Liz Jones wrote on March 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late February,\u00a0The Independent<\/em>\u00a0reported\u00a0that the couple was\u00a0losing the support of Gen A and Gen Z\u00a0because William is viewed as a \u201cnepo baby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving grown up amid a cost-of-living crisis, Gen Z and Gen A tend to have little patience for unearned privilege. They do not see William and Kate as the dynamic future of the monarchy, but as beneficiaries of inherited status,\u201d wrote the publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Andrew\u2019s Epstein scandal, the younger generations find the Prince of Wales to be \u201ccold\u201d and \u201cunkind\u201d in\u00a0his feud with Prince Harry. They feel that the Duke of Sussex has \u201cpaid a heavier price for his actions than Andrew did.\u201d\u00a0The Independent<\/em>\u00a0indicated that Gen Z and Gen A are \u201cexpecting accountability\u201d from the\u00a0royal family, but it\u2019s just not happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William and Kate have struggled to find the right tone for their future reign as their power continues to grow. Their March 2022 Caribbean tour was\u00a0a PR disaster\u00a0after \u201cthe optics of the visit has been described by local campaigners as a throwback to colonialism,\u201d\u00a0per\u00a0The Guardian.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The royal family can\u2019t afford many missteps with the anti-monarchist group, Republic, disrupting their public appearances as often as they can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRepublic has called for an inquiry that throws a spotlight on the royal household, its secrecy, spending, influence, and any allegations and accusations that have arisen in the past two decades,\u201d a\u00a0February 23 statement\u00a0reads. \u201cThis scandal is not just about Andrew; it is about a culture that has allowed the royals to do as they please, knowing there was little chance of repercussions. For that impunity victims of Epstein have likely paid a high price.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group, led by Graham Smith, is asking for a \u201creckoning\u201d because \u201cthe silence from the palace is deafening.\u201d For William and Kate, the time to act might be right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on the royal family:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n