PR Disasters thread 20

[OctopusFriend]

More to chat about

and then there’s the selling out of the BBC’s impartiality and credibility

No comment.

... and not even his own money but the proceeds of closing a charity he had inherited from Diana - the Glen Beg Foundation. So much for his "personal" donation.

It depends on the hierarchy - IIRC Jane Pauley highly respected US veteran journalist went off script and asked MM about her own experience of suicidal ideation when she interviewed H&M for the launch of the Parents Together Network. MM was apparently apoplectic afterwards - but at the end of the day JP and CBS are bigger than MM and if MM needs CBS down the line she can either reactively flounce and burn that valuable bridge or be more reflective and responsive and consider what’s important to her brand reach etc.

No. They’re fooling nobody.

It's desperate now. I've never known anything like the past few weeks.

I don't know the regulations (either Charity Commission or other legal requirements) around removing a charity patron

I'm no expert on these matters either, @bluegreygreen, but as I'm sure you know a patron's a purely honorary, non-legal title for someone who just "fronts up" a charity and trustees are actually responsible for its governance

Everything I've ever seen suggests Harry isn't a trustee, and if that's so then as I understand it his dismissal would be a matter for the executive and all it would take is a simple notification from the trustees that he's no longer required

Obviously he wouldn't like it and might even start threatening lawsuits, but he does that anyway, and the media hysteria he'd doubtless try to whip up could sensibly be viewed as just another tantrum

If Invictus can't remove him without a battle, could the trustees take a different approach and appoint further patrons who may actually be of more benefit to them in both fundraising and enhancing the IG profile? I'm not in a position to come up with names but I'm sure the brilliant hive mind of MNers would be able to think of half a dozen sportsmen and women globally or simply those in the public eye with links to the armed forces. People who are likeable, know the role will take a bit of work and are prepared to actually show up and do good for IG (rather than prancing around creating drama)?

Yes they aren’t. But some journalists are still falling for it, or were until recently. Why? When so many others could see it?

It’s all quite fascinating to watch from a psychological level.

Anyone who challenges them, they just don't engage. The Tom Bradbury interview, H point blank denied accusing RF of racism. Blamed the media. Chris S (I think) asked H about the optics around speaking about Ukraine etc. recently, does he realise he's not a WR, Harry just slithered away

Yes, I know that @Puzzledandpissedoff (re the difference between patron and trustee), I was just remembering the Sentebale fiasco, which also had Harry as patron and now has a legal case against him.

I hope, like you, that they are taking measures to remove him. What I meant was that they may be attempting to do so but that he may well be objecting. If so, we are likely to hear about it and it may not be pleasant.

As far as I know, the only charity that Harry is director of rather than patron is African Parks. Very different legally, and we haven't heard much from him about the atrocities committed on his watch.

ETA Sorry - I've now read your second paragraph properly. I didn't know that was all it took - as I said, I don't know the legal requirements in that area.

Thanks for posting links of the latest PR strategy coming from the Ratner Royals: putting pressure on Catherine, of all people, to push for reconciliation. I wouldn't have seen those articles and wouldn't have believed they could be that stupid even though I was already convinced of their low intelligence level. It couldn't be more obvious that Catherine is a family-oriented low-drama person who will not want to be anywhere near the HAM toxicity.

When I think of how HAM have treated her. Shatting all over her birthdays, several years in a row. Putting out comms any time she does something. Siccing their KKKhate fans on her. Allowing their pet to call her a racist in front of the whole world. Absolutely ridiculous to think she's going to be all - 'these people are definitely the kind that I want around my kids' about them!

It's as if HAM and their PR team are living in a fantasy world.

It gets more ridiculous with every day! In a perfect world:

Ingriftus would remove Harry
Someone sensible at Birmingham council would cancel the games
A financial journalist would expose Ingriftus finances
Sophie C would win her case
Harry would lose against ANL
Charles Spencer would give them a piece of his mind
He’d also say NFW to visits to Althorp, publicly
HAM would STFU and FTFO and definitely not come here

I don’t know how you’d remove PH as patron of Invictus, he has spoken publicly about his desire to pass it down to Archie.

The only way he’d go without a fight is if he was complicit in any financial irregularity, in which case his position would be untenable and using the courts wouldn’t be an option.

It’s a shame for the charity that their patron has now become quite toxic. I can’t think of any patron that would use their charity for manipulative purposes, but then I can’t think of anyone quite as horrible as Harry, so 🤷‍♀️

I would imagine a forensic investigation would throw up financial irregularity.

No one is falling for anything - the journalists are just after clicks / $$$ - they don’t take a side they will flip flop along to whatever nonsense comes from H&M directly or indirectly or from RF ‘sources’ or pure speculation. They must be all working overtime and up for a huge summertime bonus and H&M inadvertently are lining the pockets of their hated tabloid media with their daily shenanigans - H&M themselves hand yhe media free content almost daily for them to make ££££ but ironically H&M are unable to generate revenue from their huge PR exposure for themselves.

Too funny. Love watching this grandiose, delusional, bullying couple - make absolute desperate tits or themselves as their finances and reputation circles the drain. Pure satisfaction and entertainment watching them reap what they sowed. In for a fabulous week ahead - such a pantomime for this ridiculous couple.

I haven't clicked but even the title is wrong. It wasn't a rare family dinner called to discuss the Sussexes, it was the annual dinner after the Order of the Thistle service. I assume the rest is as accurate.

Absolutely. Also, it was for security reasons, the senior members participating stayed at Holyrood Palace, then attended the event together. Oh, and none of them blabbed about going there.

I was thinking the other day about the welsh guardsman who was horrifically injured in the Falklands War. I can’t remember his name for the life of me but I do remember thinking what an amazing man he was. Invictus could do with someone like him on board, rather than the self-serving, privileged, out-of-touch-with-reality specimen that is H.

Simon Weston? Good point. It would never be about him.

I agree, in fact I’d be more surprised if it didn’t.

Simon Weston! Thank you @OctopusFriend

The whole article reads as though it was briefed by an LA PR agency
-the "rare" dinner
-Catherine trying to persuade William to meet Harry
-Camilla wanting the reconciliation

It's clearly pushing the current Sussex narrative that Charles and William are to blame

🙄🙄🙄

I hope, like you, that they are taking measures to remove him. What I meant was that they may be attempting to do so but that he may well be objecting. If so, we are likely to hear about it and it may not be pleasant

There's no doubt at all he'd go off like a pyrotechnic, @bluegreygreen, even if he got wind of the idea of his dismissal rather than it actually happening, but as we all know there's a very big difference between Harry threatening lawsuits and him having a case

Though always open to correction I'm pretty sure the trustees would be safe in simply telling him he's out - is @Serenster or anyone else with proper knowledge around to tell us for sure?

Agree that sounds like Simon Weston.

I think he's already a patron of several charities and is pretty busy with those and other activities so not sure he could squeeze Invictus in....but might be worth an ask...

I don't think it even has to be anything actually irregular, just spending big sums on travel, luxury hotels, clothes or whatever will stink enough to make them look bad.

Really where can that £26m be going on? There must be a lot of sugar coating given how little comparable events cost in other countries.