Madeleine and Chris: Media and Public Opinion

[Marengo]

This is fact? The plot thickens. Chris may not be keen on the newlyweds. Uh-oh.

I don't think it is a fact at all, just wishful thinking. I have a hard time imagining king CG 'ordering around' his family. It is a family after all, not a military brigade or a kindergarten.

There is nothing to indicate what the feelings of C. for his in-laws are. There is no reason at all to assume he does not like them.

 

[xenobia]

I think that we can all agree on one thing. Madeleine and Chris need some good PR advice right away, and the Swedish royal court isn't exactly the place where they can find that help...

They are in a bad spot at the moment, and they aren't doing much to help themselves. However, their situation doesn't seem impossible to deal with for someone who knows PR. They are soon going to have another baby, and that combined with a cute toddler is good PR in itself. Let them give an interview to a chosen and serious reporter. Let people know when they can be expected to participate in royal duties, and when they aren't going to be there. Stuff like that could go a long way.

 

[Marengo]

I don't think they should get their own PR. The court should have one single strategy for the entire family. The prince of Wales had his own spin doctors for a while, which was good for him but one of their tricks was to create good PR at the expense of other family members. I don't think that it is wise either for the family to jump as soon as the press takes a certain fancy. They aren't monkeys in a circus.

I don't see the problem to begin with. Pss Madeleine could have a few more events perhaps. But she is focussing on an issue (the childhood foundation) which is good and attends the more imortant events. Chris has his own job and life, which IMHO is preferable over him sitting at home wasting his life with a few enagements here and there, as apparently it would please some Swedes.

The Swedish PR department is rather 'original' for a decade or so. Blabbering all kinds of gossipy tidbits to the (yellow) press for reasons that are not clear to me. It seems the Swedes are the only ones doing so. Maybe the idea was to be transparent, but IMHO it is not really working. The worst period was under Bertil Tennert. The kind of fluff that the Swedish royals are expected and willing to comment on is also something that I do not see in other monarchies. It reduces the RF to an expensive real life soap opera.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Fact is that the courts' comments make a mess of Chris' attendance:

And the court isn't helping them at all. First Margareta Thorgren says to Expressen that Chris will not attend and then to Aftonbladet "Of course, everything can change, but as it is now, he has other commitments and is unable to be with, says Margareta Thorgren."
Chris O'Neill missar prinsparets lysning _ Nyheter _ Aftonbladet

then obviously something happened, Chris was seen in Stockholm, press starts asking questions, why, why not, then Chis shows up unannounced what looks like somebody told him to.

 

[xenobia]

I don't think they should get their own PR. The court should have one single strategy for the entire family.

Normally I would agree with you. But the press department of the Swedish court is a nightmare, and it's Chris and Madeleine that are suffering the most. They need a skilled PR-person, and that - unfortunatley - can't be provided by the existing press department.

 

[JR76]

Madeleine and Chris: Media Negativity and Public Opinion

Actually the palace press department has improved greatly lately since the hiring of Margareta Thorgren. Maybe there's not much they can do about the O'Neills if they don't want any kind of constructive help.


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[eya]

You are right .If you don't want help then don't get it.

 

[princess carmen]

Or he simply changed his mind no force necessary or events changed .

 

[MissP]

This was going to be a quick post and then I started to ramble!

For me, the problem stems from two things.
1. There is no precedent. There is no manual on how to be married to a Princess AND be a private individual. It appears Chris & Madeleine are muddling through and feeling their way as they go and getting it wrong a lot and the PR isn't helping.
2. There is a problem where the private overlaps the public. Saying you won't do official stuff is fine. Chris has decided he won't open hospitals, be a charity patron etc. That's fine. BUT the SRF and (it appears to me - Swedes correct me if I'm wrong) the Swedish public set a lot of store by events that in a 'normal' family would be private (birthdays, weddings, banns etc.) but as the SRF are very public. Now Chris & Madeleine are back in Sweden I think he may start to realise how important him being at those events is.

As a further point, apparently some of the most stressful things you can do are: get married, have a baby and move house. Chris has done all those things in under two years. One he's going to do twice, and he's not just moved house but moved countries AND married a Princess. I would imagine Chris didn't quite realise how much he would be needed as part of the family when they moved back to Sweden. Probably a bit naive but aren't we all sometimes?

 

[LadyFinn]

I don't think they should get their own PR. The court should have one single strategy for the entire family.

Carl Philip and Sofia have an own PR-woman, Christina Saliba from PR-Agency Mindmakers. She was hired after Carl Philip had a bit of a scandal when it was revealed that he hadn't designed everything which was sold as his designs. Mindmakers takes now care also of Bernadotte & Kylberg AB's PR. And she has been with Sofia at some Project Playground events.

About Madeleine and Chris, they don't have a tight relationship with the court press department because Madeleine works so little. Margareta Thorgren accompanies the king and queen on their visits abroad and in Sweden, and someone else from the press department accompanies Victoria and/or Daniel at their works events abroad and also on their visits in Sweden.

 

[eya]

Probably that is the problem .He dont't liive to Sweden from the beggining . For that he must to advise someone and he to listen to him.

 

[xenobia]

Actually the palace press department has improved greatly lately since the hiring of Margareta Thorgren. Maybe there's not much they can do about the O'Neills if they don't want any kind of constructive help.

Good point. If they don't want help, no one can help them. I agree that M Thorgren seems to be better qualified for the job than Bertil T before her, but I would guess that the family (maybe with the exception of Victoria and Daniel) aren't that easy to deal with as clients...

 

[Josefine]

I do miss Elisabeth tarras wahlberg
Come back Tarras

 

[LadyFinn]

On the cover of gossip magazine Hänt Extra
While Victoria and Sofia represent ...
Shopping is Madde's thing ..!
http://www.allerbutiken.se/Global/Covers/HEX.jpg

 

[MoonShadow123]

Here we go again.........more rubbish from magazines.

 

[Baron Brockdorf]

The irony though of having a headline like that with a photo from an official engagement

 

[LadyFinn]

Chris was listed to attend with the rest of the royal family to the National Day celebration in Skansen and the reception after that on the National Day of Sweden on 6th June. Yesterday I noticed that his name was taken away from the court calendar.

And now Expressen writes about this.
According to Expressen's information Chris O'Neill was completely ready to attend the celebration on June 6, but now that he jumps off he becomes the only member of the family who is not present at the celebration at Skansen and National Day reception that evening at the Royal Palace.
The celebration at Skansen, broadcasted at the same evening on SVT and the entire royal family to be at the cortege from the Royal Palace to Skansen. In previous years, little princess Estelle been in the cortege on its way to Skansen.
This means that the heavily pregnant Princess Madeleine will be without her husband.
Margareta Thorgren, the director of the press department:
- Chris O'Neill has such a hectic work schedule that he can not attend. Long trips and he is sorry that he can not attend the National Day celebrations.
Chris O'Neill hoppar av nationaldagsfesten _ Nyheter _ Expressen
Translation

The National Day is on Saturday this year and in previous years the cortege has left the Palace about 17.50.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

and the communication chaos continues....
if he has such a hectic schedule indeed maybe it would be a good idea to leave him off the agenda in the first place and only add him if it works out.

 

[eya]

Oh my god another round. But let put a bet he will be in the wedding or not?

 

[SLV]

I do wonder why it matters that Madeleine is pregnant, when discussing if Chris is attending something or not. She is not an invalid that cannot function without her husband.

 

[LadyFinn]

I do wonder why it matters that Madeleine is pregnant, when discussing if Chris is attending something or not. She is not an invalid that cannot function without her husband.

Yes, but they probably were planning to take Leonore to the carriage like Estelle has been on previous years. When you are heavily pregnant like Madeleine, holding a child isn't so comfortable. Maybe Madeleine can go to the same carriage as Carl Philip and Sofia and they can help her.

 

[Muhler]

What do you think the public is thinking or will think about Chris not being present?

And dear Swedish members, what do you think?

 

[MARG]

They are probably wondering why the SRF actually pay someone to make them look indecisive, uncoordinated and disorganised. Their PR team mess it up, time after time after time . . . ad infinitum.

I do wonder why it matters that Madeleine is pregnant, when discussing if Chris is attending something or not. She is not an invalid that cannot function without her husband.

She may not be feeling quite well, she may find traveling in a carriage causes nausea, Chris could be the child wrangler (should she be down to attend) or even just her security "blanky". There are so many reasons Madeleine could be considered "unconfirmed" to attend" that I wonder why it is that she has to "bring a sick note" when not another pregnant princess in Europe would need one! Why some have been known to disappear almost altogether!

 

[LadyFinn]

Aftonbladet has talked with Margareta Thorgren.
The court defends themselves against the data on a "dropout" but confirms that Chris will not attend the National Day.
- It's not that he jumps off. He's obviously sad that he can not attend the National Day and his greatest wish is to be with the family as much as possible, says Thorgren.
- He just has currently an intensive program with many trips and important work issues that cause that he can not be with on the National Day.
Before the banns between Carl Philip and Sofia on May 17 Chris O'Neill surprised by showing up. At that time the court just days earlier confirmed that he would not be with.
The explanation for Chris O'Neill was that he was at the last moment had "managed to combine his other commitments".
For the royal couple, it is important that the whole family attends the major feasts. Important events coming are, the National Day, Nobel Prize ceremony and Victoria Day.
Considering this year's Prince wedding there is more important dates for the family to gather than usual.
- It is the wish of the family to gather at solemn occasions and it is always nice when that happens, said Margareta Thorgren after the banns.
Chris O'Neill missar nationaldagsfesten _ Prinsbröllopet _ Nyheter _ Aftonbladet

 

[JR76]

What do you think the public is thinking or will think about Chris not being present?

And dear Swedish members, what do you think?

My opinion as a Swede is one I've posted before - Chris needs to make up his mind of when and at what royal functions he makes an appearance and stick to it. He's not a member of the Royal house so he doesn't have to show up at official events if he doesn't want to or if he can't fit them into his work schedule.
I'd suggest he stays away from all official events and stick to the family oriented ones like wedding banns, Te Deums etc... where other relatives also attend.


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[xenobia]

What do you think the public is thinking or will think about Chris not being present?

And dear Swedish members, what do you think?

My problem is that this is part of a pattern. I don't know if it's just a communication problem that they court obviously has, or if it's Chris that keeps changing his schedule (making it hard for the court to be consistant in their communication). But there is obviously a big problem somewhere.

I agree with JR76 that Chris needs to make up his mind. He isn't royal, but he is still part of the royal family. Let us know when we can expect him to show up, and stick to it. It shouldn't be too hard.

As for Madeleine, she is heavily pregnant right now. If she would have skipped the national day celebrations and focused on trying to attend the wedding, that's something that people would understand. So if she actually attends the national day celebrations, people would probably be happy just to see her for a couple of hours and don't expect more than that.

 

[Roslyn]

I tend to think that the problem is one of unrealistic expectations on a few levels.

I think it was unrealistic of Chris to expect his lifestyle to be compatible with marriage into the Swedish Royal Family, and that no-one would notice and/or complain when he didn't turn up at the events they expected to see him at. But at that time they married they were living in America and I don't think they were expecting to live in Sweden so didn't expect to be in the spotlight and could live their lives around Chris' lifestyle, but things have changed.

I think it is unrealistic of the Swedish Royal Family to expect Chris, as a private citizen, to give priority to events which are high on their list of priorities but of little import in his life, and to be able to commit to events in the same way that they can, i.e. some time ahead and with no flexibility in the event of unforeseen exigencies such as plans changing at short notice because of Chris' business commitments.

I think it is unrealistic of the Swedish people to expect him to turn up at all the events they expect him to attend.

Chris is a private citizen, not Royal, and if he is to retain that status people are going to have to stop expecting him to give priority to Royal events and expecting him to do things. If he turns up, he turns up, but if not, it shouldn't matter.

 

[Lee-Z]

Then it would be best, like someone mentioned in a previous post that they make an official announcement like "Due to his work schedule, Mr.O'Neill has to be available for his work at short term notice, he will therefore from now on not be scheduled to appear at any royal function, but focus on his young family and his job" and then never include him in a schedule again; if indeed he has time to appear it will be a bonus and mainly a nice support for his wife and children..

but just make the decision and end the dilly dally..

 

[Roslyn]

Yep. That would make sense. Wonder why they don't do it?

 

[Marengo]

Then it would be best, like someone mentioned in a previous post that they make an official announcement like "Due to his work schedule, Mr.O'Neill has to be available for his work at short term notice, he will therefore from now on not be scheduled to appear at any royal function, but focus on his young family and his job" and then never include him in a schedule again; if indeed he has time to appear it will be a bonus and mainly a nice support for his wife and children..

but just make the decision and end the dilly dally..

Well, isn't it rather logical perhaps? I do not see the problem and I do not see why an announcement needs to be made. If anything made the Swedish press department a mess it is over-communication . When he married it was clear that he would remain a private person with his own work. Nothing has changed since then. So why some media outlets made it an issue all of a sudden is a bit puzzling.

I can't recall anything of the sort for Constantijn and Laurentien either. Or even for Laurent. And they are actually royal. I would say that Chris O'Neill actually has as much official duties as Prince Constantijn - if not more. I can't remember anybody ever complaining about Constantijn skipping functions. Most will be happy that he has a carreer and is not living from tax payers money.

They are making a mountain out of a molehill IMHO.