PR disasters thread 33

[BigWillyLittleTodger]

A shiny new thread for September Sussex shenanigans!

Yes, it's quite funny that their pompous clapback to the story now has people mistakenly assuming they weren't invited!

The other thing I'm finding amusing is that the DM article they are complaining about was written by Charlotte Griffiths.
You would really think Harry would know better than to question her sources ... or have they deliberately cancelled an engagement to prove her wrong?

Who is organising the "Diana awards"?

It's this charity - it holds events during the year, as well as having programmes for young people.

For the past couple of years William and Harry have attended alternate events. William attended one earlier in the summer.

https://diana-award.org.uk

I wonder if H has told the Diana Awards people whether or not he will be attending.

Pretty sharp and sneering clapback for an innocuous article. It makes me wonder about all the things they don't respond to, which are often far more serious than mild speculation about who is going to dinner in honour of Diana this year.

When you have to respond to that the PR question is why don't you respond to the rest? The assumption being that they can't because it's true.

It's quite the charity - it exists and works without any grandstanding of anyone person trying to hog the show.

The snark is not a good look.

Taking attention away from a charity, one with his mother’s name and smearing the event with an air of nastiness and division.

That’s pretty low.

Not to mention his own lack of concern for facts and accuracy when presenting “his truth”.

Seems such detail only matters when it suits him.

Pathetic little whiner, As Ever.

York ham as it were?

https://www.lishmansbutchers.co.uk/york-ham-the-king-of-hams/

Well it goes back to, are any of them even in the UK, I suppose.

The fact is that nobody really cares (apart from the Tom Sykes class) (£££), but Liam can spin this off as the Mail having been ‘warned off’.

I think that’s exactly what is going on.

Is H even in this ‘About Us’ pic? I can only see W. Maybe it’s just me and my covid.

https://diana-award.org.uk/about-us

I’ve been scan-reading the Independent website and just found this.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/trump-prince-harry-meghan-markle-uk-return-b3043726.html

Talk about a ship of fools.

OMG @Mylovelychartreusedress New Achievement!

I now completely get why HMTLQs mantra was “ Never explain, never complain”. The gulf between how the WRF are not responding, not feeding the media etc and H&Ms clap backs, briefings to select media etc. is enormous.

To be honest the only PR advice anyone can give H&M is STFU and keep as low a profile as possible.

Edited to add - it’s like watching a car crash in slow motion.

The angry clapback is astonishing against a charity - something has definitely touched a nerve because the story seemed so innocuous just like so many other "will they? won't they" stories that speculate about them possibly attending events (the Oscars, Trooping the Colour, Sandringham, Summer in Balmoral etc etc)

I wonder if HAM have been uninvited or perhaps Meghan was never invited and Harry has flounced in protest? It would gel with online rumours a few days ago (possibly Neil Sean) that the organizers of the Diana awards were worried because the recent rumours that Meghan would accompany Harry to the event had caused ticket sales to plummet... Originally I believe it was "Harry's turn" but it was scheduled for a time when he used to come alone to the UK for Well Child.

Edited to add - I believe the actual awards are a virtual event in November this year and the dinner is a promotion/fundraiser

Don’t mention car crashes!

I get the RF stance on grey rock but eventually something will have to be done. I assumed HAM received a lump of cash from papa to return to UK, keep quiet and live a peaceful life but certainly doesn't seem to be

If Pa doled out hush money he needs a refund toot suite!
They’ve only been here five minutes and they’re already causing chaos.

Exactly! Same chaos, different country but seriously, will it be another 5 / 6 years of this nonsense??

Trump wishes them slightly less than a fond farewell

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16100149/Trump-breaks-silence-Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markles-surprise-return-UK.html

(More of the ‘breaks silence’ = says something, from an editorial desk.)

I agree with @bluegreygreen @AutumnCrowInEmeritoVeritas and might I say others. These targeted clap backs are not a good look. As anyone who has followed the Claimants v ANL will know , they did not win one case of illegal sourcing of stories and indeed the Judge said the DM reporters had credible evidence for their articles. Even H couldn't spin this into any kind of victory. I do hope he is not going to have an eagle eye on any DM article, no matter how innocuous , because he feels hard done to. The DM reporters aren't stupid people. There have been two instances very quickly (Horner lunch, Diana awards) of DM retracting / clap back . I am sure DM will be on top of their game when it comes to sources now. It would be nice to think H can rise above ANL & not play silly beggars with the press.

I'd also say , Like @Ratherhaveacupofteaandabiscuit I'm not inclined to take much notice of a Sussex spokesperson talking about "Facts matter , Accuracy matters" from Prince "my truth" Harry. I know a memoir is different to a newspaper which operates under more onerous regulation. However , I note we have not had a Sussex clap back to the Closer magazine article where "Sussex sources" said people will realise it was W&C who were the problem all along and will have to eat humble pie. ( my paraphrase ) Selective clap backs ?

I'm not sure H&M are as clever at manipulating the media as they think they are. And I think that is their real PR disaster.

I think the Daily Mail should take a leaf from the RF's book and grey rock them now. They're obviously playing games, sprinkling enough information for the journalists to build a story but also making them retract if it's not wholly accurate.
It would drive the Sussexes absolutely mad if they simply were ignored and allowed to fade into obscurity in their Cotswolds idyll. Megan would be back to California in a flash and Harry would become increasingly irrelevant. Hopefully whilst the children had a nice time at a jolly school or with nannies who actually cared about them.

Well, this must have thrilled Hugh Bonneville and the other actors in The Gentleman 2 at the premiere, being asked about Meghan Markle.

It was a polite ‘we know nothing about it’ response made into a non-story by the BBC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05rg7mj2p1o

@AutumnCrowInEmeritoVeritas After just a few episodes I’m a huge fan of this show now. It’s brilliant.

Their worst nightmare but unfortunately they generate too many clicks. There is years of this and when Hamlets are teens, they'll probably be at it too