The Queen Takeaways

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch the film, The Queen, produced in 2006. This production was based on Princess Diana's death in 1997. Princess Diana was married to King Charles III and the mother of Prince William and Harry. She was an icon and had extreme popularity. On August 31st, 1997, Princess Diana was involved in a car accident involving the paparazzi. This particular situation occurred was a crisis, not only for the United Kingdom but many nations across the world. According to the Institute for Public Relations, the definition of crisis is a significant threat to operations that can have negative consequences if not handled properly. The Queen replied to the death of Diana nearly a week later, which created an uproar for the public.

What Should Have Been Done to Prepare for this Type of Crisis?

Death is inevitable, and unfortunately, unexpected deaths are something that no one can specifically prepare for.?When it comes to crisis management in regard to grief, it is important to have a plan in place, no matter the individual. With hopes that one will never have to execute the preparation, but if a circumstance comes up, as an organization, you must be ready to tackle what is ahead. There is no correct way to respond to grief, but audiences often appreciate it if an announcement is made, particularly a crisis as extreme as Princess Diana’s death.?During the film, I noticed the crisis response strategy of changing according to what the people say and the time.?

3 Things That Blair Did Well

1. Blair did not stop pushing for what they believed the people of the United Kingdom needed.?
2. Took matters into his own hands.?He told the Queen what he needed and exactly what she had to do from then on.?
3. Did not take ownership. As humans, many of us struggle with being humble and selfless. Blair was the reason that the Queen finally made her statement to the public. There was a specific scene that Blair was at home watching the Queen on live television, and he was astonished and beyond proud of her. Blair’s wife made a comment about how “every prime minister swoons over the Queen.” After all of the added stress that the royal family added to Blair, by not acknowledging the fact that Diana died, he still let them take the glory.?

Did the UK Believe the Queen's Statement?

Reasons why I believe they did.

1. The people of the UK had the utmost respect for Queen Elizabeth and for the royal family.
2. The Queen had higher authority than Diana. Diana was one of the only people who had spoken indifferently about the family, which surprised the nation of people. Although Princess Diana was referred to as the “princess of the people,” the Queen was held to a different standard.
3. The statement came across as genuine. The people of the United Kingdom had been waiting for a statement from Queen Elizabeth or the royal family, and when she finally spoke, it seemed sincere. Diana's death itself was a crisis, but the fact that the royal family did not speak on the tragedy for a matter of time created the issues. The Queen addressed the positive aspects that Princess Diana contributed to the world and discussed her opinion on grief. Queen Elizabeth was a traditional member of the royal family and was unfamiliar with the modern transitions of the nations, as Blair discussed throughout the film. With that being said, I was not born during this time, so I am unsure if people believed the Queen, but I would assume they could not imagine the grief that she must be experiencing after a death as unexpected as Diana’s.

How Would Social Media Change the Management of the Crisis?

1. Add More Noise

The media had a significant role in Diana’s death and the response from the royal family. According to the film, many newspapers and magazines were released daily about the crisis. With social media, hundreds of millions of opinions would be accessible at our fingertips.?This would create more hatred and slander.

2. Easier to Publicly Release a Statement

As mentioned above, social media is at our fingertips; therefore, the royal family could have released a statement, announcement, or live video from their own space. In one of the scenes in the movie, the Queen was arguing with Blair telling him that she was not willing to go out of her way and leave the safety of her home and the boys who had just lost their mother. With social media, a statement could have been done more efficiently.

Have ever watched the film, The Queen? What were your thoughts? Did the royal family handle the crisis in the BEST way? What would you have done differently?

Links

https://instituteforpr.org/crisis-management-and-communications/#:~:text=A%20crisis%20is%20defined%20here,its%20stakeholders%2C%20and%20an%20industry.

“The Queen.” Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2007.?