How "Never Complain, Never Explain" is Failing the Palace in 2024
The Royal Family’s favorite public relations strategy of “never complain, never explain” is, like many of their traditions, a vestige of the Victorian era. It was, at that time, built upon the idea that the Monarchy’s greatest strength was its mystique. There was also this notion that allowing the public to “poke holes” in the Monarchy would weaken it; if they knew too much, they might lose interest or respect.
In 1867, writer Walter Bagehot wrote that "above all things our royalty is to be reverenced, and if you begin to poke about it you cannot reverence it...Its mystery is its life. We must not let in daylight upon magic".
As a result, Queen Victoria was fastidiously concerned with how the public was permitted to see her. She was an early adopter of both photo manipulation tactics (demanding that photographers edit out her double chin) and image distribution (allowing an 1893 photo to be freely used for her official Diamond Jubilee portrait…in 1897).
The public has been deferential to the Royal Family by default in the past, so “never complain, never explain” worked for a long time. It allowed the royals to maintain a stately distance from their subjects.
Queen Elizabeth II was the last Windsor to enjoy the benefits of “never complain, never explain.” As a vestige of the age in which capital-M Monarchy commanded a much different type of regard with the public, Elizabeth also understood her responsibility in her role. Her own famous quote, “I have to be seen to be believed,” is making the rounds this week—and for good reason.
As much as Elizabeth both utilized and benefitted from the “never complain, never explain” mantra, she also always chose to show up in her role. And she will enjoy a reputation for years to come as the UK’s rock during a tumultuous era because of it. Even after death, Elizabeth’s casket was driven across the United Kingdom in a glass-paneled hearse of her own design, so that the public might view their Monarch one last time.
The phrase has been conflated with something of a personal motto in the past several decades, with even Queen Camilla saying in a 2017 interview that she was told as a child "Never complain and never explain—just get on with it." I would hazard a guess that Prince Charles and Princess Anne likely received similar guidance from their parents while growing up, even as the world grew more comfortable demanding transparency from the royals.
“Never complain, never explain” as a PR strategy doesn’t work in the 21st century for a number of reasons. Both a 24-hour news cycle and a population that interacts with the royals mostly in social media spaces make it impossible to maintain the same kind of distance. People prioritize and value knowing someone these days, and the Royal Family has muddied the waters by putting out this idea that Will and Kate, particularly, are “just like us!” The public is more comfortable asking questions, even of the Royals, when they feel a kinship to them.
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