King Charles’s first speech portends a revamped communications style
Media commentary by Steve Dunlop
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The American humorist Will Rogers is credited with originating the axiom that “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” If Rogers were alive today, he would probably reconsider. Despite our ubiquitous “cancel culture,” contemporary society has witnessed figure after figure get a second chance from the public - from Tiger Woods to Arnold Schwarznegger to Robert Downey Jr. to Martha Stewart.
Enter Britain’s King Charles III... who for reasons well known around the world has suffered a more severely battered reputation than perhaps that of any other modern monarch. As recently as five years ago, a poll found more than half the British public would have preferred to see the Crown bypass Charles and go directly to his son, Prince William.
But now, the Commonwealth and the world mourn the death of the beloved Queen Elizabeth II. In his first public speech as King, Charles had to hit a home run – or a “six”, if you’re playing cricket. If you believe, as I do, that what we say and how we say it really matters, take note.
In a deeply personal, nine-minute address to the British nation, King Charles used the first person singular pronouns of I, me, my and mine a total of 46 times. He used first person plural of we, us, and our, referring to his family and his country, less than a dozen times. But the pluralis majestatis, a linguistic use of “we” referring to the monarch himself or herself, more commonly known as the “royal we” – was not used at all. That was conspicuously absent.
The British press has noted that Queen Elizabeth used the “royal we” frequently. Its coinage goes back to the late 1100’s, originating with the concept of the divine right of kings. It started to fall out of favor in the Victorian Age.
But in 1997 came the tragic death of the hugely popular Princess Diana. Queen Elizabeth sequestered herself with her grandchildren in Scotland, leading to withering media criticism, almost unheard of for a sitting British sovereign. Why, the papers asked, was her Majesty so distant from her grieving nation?
When she did return to address her subjects after five days of silence, the Queen adopted a changed and highly personal tone. “What I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart,” she said. “First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself...”
The Royal We went into exile. In its place would come a concerted effort by the House of Windsor to appear more approachable, human, even vulnerable... and by the time he assumed the British throne, King Charles’s reputation had recovered significantly.
Business communicators should be cautious in following this royal example. In general, reporters expect that top executives are speaking for their entire organization, so the use of the “royal we” is, counterintuitively, ok. On the other hand, if you’re telling a story based on your personal experience, the first person singular is almost always the way to go.
As it will be, generally, for Britain’s new sovereign. The success of, and positive public reaction to his first address as monarch makes it clear that for kings, as with anyone else in a media saturated age, there can be second chances to make a first impression.