Royal family urged to 'follow Prince Harry's approach' to 'connect with the public'
The Duke of Sussex has been praised for his natural ability to connect with people
If the royal family wants to stay in touch with the younger generation, they might want to take a page out of Prince Harry’s book, according to an expert.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold worked for King Charles for seven years.
In a new interview, Harrold says Harry’s natural ability to connect with people, even without being active on social media, is something the monarchy urgently needs to emulate.
Prince Harry’s ‘relatable’ nature should be adopted by the royal family
Speaking to GB News in collaboration with Smooth Spins, Harrold explained that the rise of influencers and online celebrities has reshaped the way younger people engage with public figures.
Both King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales have their own social media accounts. But Harrold argues that genuine relatability goes beyond curated content.
“They need to be relatable,” he said of the royal family. “People love celebrities nowadays. We look up to these people for how they dress, how they act, their lifestyles, where they live, what they eat and drink.”
Harrold added that with social media creating a new type of public figure, the monarchy needs to adjust.
He said: “We have more social media influencers now, so they’ve got to be more relatable to connect with the public. They basically have to become a modern celebrity.”
He then pointed to Prince Harry as the example to follow: “That is what Harry was.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and no longer represent the monarchy.
However, Harrold believes Harry still embodies the kind of authenticity that resonates with Gen Z and younger millennials, something he says the royal family needs to prioritise moving forward.
Harrold also noted that the monarchy remains central to global perceptions of Britain.
“When people think of the UK, the first thing they think of is the royal family. They think of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the king and queen,” he said.
He added that the image of Britain is still tied to “posh aristocracy, castles and palaces, crowns, coronets, tiaras”. This is why staying connected to the public is more important than ever.
Harry and Meghan volunteer for Thanksgiving
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Harry and Meghan made headlines of their own after making a rare public appearance with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The Sussexes keep their children’s lives extremely private. However, they brought them along during a visit to Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA), a community-run organisation supported by the couple’s Archewell Foundation.
Photos shared on the Archewell website show the family baking cookies, slicing vegetables and helping pack meals for those in need ahead of Thanksgiving.
In one sweet image, Meghan holds Lilibet’s hand as they watch Harry prepare boxes of food. Another shows Harry standing behind Meghan with his arms wrapped around her as they smile alongside other volunteers.
Meghan shared a simple message on Instagram: “Show up. Do good.”
Body language expert Darren Stanton noted that the Sussexes looked “totally at home in each other’s company”.
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