Ichaso: Absolute silence, the royal answer to Harry’s book 5:07
(CNN) — Last week was all about the Duke of Sussex. This week it’s the royal family’s turn.
Given the enraged prince’s revelations – both in his “Spare” memoir and his media appearances – many were curious how the clan would handle his return to public life after the holidays.
Asked by American comedian Stephen Colbert last week, Prince Harry said “of course” that his family, along with the British media, are actively working to undermine his book. And he added: “After 38 years, they have told their version of the story. That’s the other side of the story and there’s a lot of stuff in there that might make people uncomfortable and scared.”
However, the reality is not so black or white. In fact, several UK newspapers are running headlines that reflect what the commentators are saying. But there appears to be little evidence, as Harry has claimed, of a coordinated effort from unnamed Palace sources actively working to discredit his statements in the book. And, of course, radio silence continues from the palace whenever the book is mentioned.
What we’ve seen is the Windsors taking part in walks and meetings at their first commitments of the year.
Prince William and Kate on January 13 in Liverpool, England.
King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales began performing two days after Spare hit bookstores. In Scotland, the monarch laughed out loud with the public at a meeting with the local community aimed at tackling rural loneliness.
On the same day, William and Kate looked calm as they visited the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Open Door mental health charity in Merseyside, northern England. Neither showed any signs of overt sadness for their disgruntled relative in California. Questions yelling at the couple about whether they felt “hurt by the comments in Harry’s book” went unanswered.
Since then, senior royals have attended engagements in schools, youth organizations and other royal patronages.
The Prince Harry story has broken records, and its publisher said on Tuesday that it has sold three-quarters of a million copies in the UK since its release. Larry Finlay, Managing Director of Transworld Penguin Random House, said: “We announced last week that ‘Spare’ was the best-selling non-fiction book on day one of its release, a record confirmed by Guinness World Records. Now we know that they are the best-selling memoirs even in their first week of release.
That doesn’t seem to worry the royals, however. You will be very aware of the optics after the publication of the book. But rather than get sucked into the soap opera by releasing statements or canceling previously scheduled events, they have focused on rebuilding citizen confidence that the return to work may have damaged.
The royals know “the power of their platform,” as Harry so succinctly put it in his memoir. They know they need to be seen, that it matters to greet people personally at events that matter to them, and that local businesses can amplify their message like nothing else by putting a real spotlight on local businesses.
So his actions last week served as a reminder to the public that family feuds don’t steal the spotlight. The Royal Family stands firm with the British people as they face the challenges that the New Year brings. King Charles’ recent request that part of the Crown Estate’s profits be used for “the broader public good” rather than to supplement the royal coffers is another example of this.
Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare”.
The Crown Estate announced on Thursday that six new offshore wind leases generated a large profit. Through an agreement dating back to 1760, the monarch gives all proceeds of the estate to the UK government in exchange for a portion called the sovereign grant, which is essentially the king’s expense account.
However, a Buckingham Palace spokesman told CNN: “In light of the offshore torrential rain, the Keeper of the Privy Purse has contacted the Prime Minister and Chancellor to share the King’s wish that such a stroke of good fortune goes to a general public good and not in the royal coffers, by reducing the portion of the Crown Estate surplus that funds the Sovereign Grant.”
As trustees of the royal fund, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and Royal Exchequer Michael Stevens determined the actual amount of the subsidy. The fund is currently set at 25% of the Crown Estate’s annual net income. That means the UK Treasury disbursed £86.3m in the last financial year to cover official travel, staff costs and Palace expenses.
The exact amount the king has allocated to the treasury is still unclear. It’s not like it’s going to hurt him this year either, as the amount he’s receiving is based on the previous two financial years, so the impact of the monarch’s moves won’t affect the grant until 2024-2025. But it’s likely seen as a symbolic gesture that will be welcomed at a time when families across the country are struggling financially.
Earlier, King Charles was keenly aware of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, acknowledging in his first Christmas show that people in the UK may be struggling to pay their bills and “keep their families fed and warm”.
Without complaint or explanation, the family chose their response to “Spare”: draw on their courage through service rather than engage in a war of words that would do them more harm than good.