Catherine, Princess of Wales

Where’s Kate? Speculation about the ‘missing’ princess is proof the Palace’s media playbook needs a re-write

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Social media have been awash with speculation about Catherine’s health and whereabouts.

Key Points: 
  • Social media have been awash with speculation about Catherine’s health and whereabouts.
  • As scrutiny reaches a fever pitch, we ask: why is the Palace’s typical media playbook no longer working?

Not so ‘unprecedented’

  • Anne Boleyn (circa 1501-1536), the second of six wives of Henry VIII, was executed after being found guilty of adultery, incest and treason.
  • The long-reigning Queen Victoria (1819-1901) was widely regarded as as a loyal wife and mother.
  • Yet she too became the target of gossip regarding her close friendship with Scottish servant John Brown after her husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861.

The Palace’s strategic communications

  • The royal family has gradually adjusted to new media and technologies, though not as quickly as the public might like.
  • On one hand, the Palace continues its age-old tradition of announcing major news on a noticeboard at the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Internet sleuthing and a manipulated image

  • There were also more serious claims that she was in a coma, or dead, or getting a divorce.
  • In the midst of this speculation, TMZ published a grainy photo of Catherine in the passenger seat of a car near Windsor Castle.
  • The public quickly realised the image was at best poorly photoshopped or at worst AI-generated.
  • The Associated Press, Getty Images, AFP and Reuters subsequently issued “kill notices” on the image, stating concerns it had been digitally manipulated.

Old media PR won’t work in a new media world

  • The situation with Catherine’s absence from public life exposes the limits of old media strategies in a “new media” world.
  • The Palace is used to being able to control media coverage through the royal rota, a select group of press outlets in the UK given access to royal events.
  • Yet the interest in Catherine’s health has prompted a number of statements to the press.
  • These old media strategies don’t seem to be working, with news outlets that are part of the royal rota reporting critically on the manipulated image.


The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

As Sarah Burton leaves Alexander McQueen, an expert explores her legacy through five iconic designs

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, September 16, 2023

Sarah Burton, the creative director for Alexander McQueen, has announced that she is leaving the fashion house after two decades.

Key Points: 
  • Sarah Burton, the creative director for Alexander McQueen, has announced that she is leaving the fashion house after two decades.
  • Burton, born in Macclesfield, initially joined McQueen in 1996 as a placement student, while studying at Central Saint Martins in London.
  • During her 26 years at McQueen Burton has made a significant contribution to both the fashion industry and to the legacy of the fashion house.

1. Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, 2011

    • The choice of designer remained a secret until the day of the wedding.
    • Following the royal wedding, sales at Alexander McQueen reportedly increased by 29%.
    • Burton herself has stated that while legacy can sometimes be seen as curse it is also a “wonderful opportunity for invention”.

2. Gisele Bündchen at the Met Gala, 2011

    • Burton dressed Gisele Bündchen – a top supermodel of the 1990s and 2000s who often walked McQueen’s runway shows – for the Met Gala.
    • In 2015, Forbes named Burton’s dress for Bündchen as one of the most unforgettable Met Gala dresses of all time.

3. Nicole Kidman at the Met Gala, 2016

    • The theme for the 2016 gala was Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
    • Burton’s design for Nicole Kidman was an art deco-inspired celestial gown that had been adapted from the 2016 runway collection.

4. Lady Gaga, A Star is Born premiere, 2018

    • Lady Gaga is well known for her eccentric approach to fashion and she was a great fan, and personal friend, of Lee Alexander McQueen.
    • In 2018, Gaga wowed the crowds at the London Premiere to her Star is Born movie.

5. Lady Gaga, the Oscars, 2019

    • Burton’s design had an exaggerated silhouette with padded hips and a long train, reflecting the designer’s skill for combining tailoring with drama.
    • Gaga accessorised the McQueen gown with a 142-year-old Tiffany diamond, that had only been worn three times and was worth USD$30 million (£24 million).
    • Burton’s departure from McQueen comes as the label’s parent company, the French luxury goods group Kering SA, is restructuring.

13-Year-Old Illustrator The Doodle Boy Launches First-Ever Digital Collectible Series with Orange Comet

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 16, 2023

LOS ANGELES, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange Comet, the industry's leading Web3 game and entertainment company, today announced its partnership with 13-year-old artistic genius Joe Whale, better known as The Doodle Boy. The first phase of the digital collectibles project is set to mint exclusively on OpenSea on April 25, 2023. 

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange Comet , the industry's leading Web3 game and entertainment company, today announced its partnership with 13-year-old artistic genius Joe Whale, better known as The Doodle Boy .
  • The first phase of the digital collectibles project is set to mint exclusively on OpenSea on April 25, 2023.
  • There was no better choice in our view than Orange Comet," says Russell Binder, President Striker Entertainment, licensing agent for The Doodle Boy.
  • Orange Comet, led by entertainment industry veteran Dave Broome, is a passion-driven company creating industry-defining digital content that tells a story with Hollywood-style production quality.