The Daily Mail’s Richard Kay – the “elder statesman” of royal commentators – wrote a piece about Prince William’s angry, illiterate statement posted in the closing moments of the Caribbean Flop Tour. William’s statement was pretty clearly mostly (if not entirely) written by him, with very little feedback and input from Buckingham Palace or Clarence House. Even Kay can’t put a bow on that. So Kay chooses his words carefully. Some highlights from Kay’s DM piece, “Prince William has just given us the first glimpse of how he’ll rule when he becomes King.”

Kay thinks William’s statement was bad form: “So what are we to make of last night’s hastily drafted statement in which you could almost hear his angry voice dictating the words? Unhappiness certainly at the criticism that has been levelled at him and Kate for the public relations missteps that marred their Caribbean tour. But at the same time he has given us a glimpse of the kind of thoughtful man William, at 39, is turning into and, crucially, what sort of King he will be. When was the last time – if ever – a senior member of the Royal Family went on record to acknowledge mistakes? And in his statement William did just that. He wants us to see that he and Kate will not turn away from censure but rather learn from it.

William was “injured”: “His tone of mildly injured hurt is probably justifiable, especially in the light of those commentators such as the BBC’s Royal Correspondent who appeared to blame the couple themselves for being responsible for cack-handed photo-opportunities and misreading of post-colonial sensitivities in the era of Black Lives Matter. One particular picture of the couple joyfully making fleeting contact with the outstretched fingers of Jamaican children pushing through a wire fence will haunt Royal planners, who should have realised what a damaging image it might convey.

William was “bruised”: “It is highly unusual for a statement to be issued at the conclusion of a tour and when the cheers of the crowds in the Bahamas were almost still audible. Perhaps William wanted the world to know how he – and Kate – feel, that they are bruised at being blamed for things they do not think they are responsible for.

But was the statement the right thing to do? “Particularly since there was a key passage that has left critics and Royal supporters alike wondering why an issue was raised that never got discussed on the couple’s eight-day visit – the future of the Commonwealth. Suddenly, William has opened up a tricky issue. Was he casting doubts on the role of Prince Charles, whom the Queen asked Commonwealth leaders to endorse as its next head? Palace officials have assured that this was not the case and that William was referring to his own future prospects and wanted to emphasise that he was not taking anything for granted.

William was clumsy: “However, although it was a surprisingly clumsy intervention because his father’s reign was not mentioned, it does reveal a maturity to William that we rarely see in public… he did discover, for the first time, that navigating the distant reaches of his grandmother’s realms is not always going to be plain sailing. And he showed that, when trouble does come along, he is prepared to take the initiative and that he is listening.

[From The Daily Mail]

Sometimes I think Kay is a total hack, but I found it impressive to watch him thread this particular needle. I’m sure Baldemort will be pleased that Kay makes multiple references to what a wise, thoughtful and humble king he will be, because William is clearly too stupid to understand that Kay is actually highlighting William’s clumsiness, his anger, and his unwillingness to listen to and take advice. Most significantly, Kay is edging around William’s martyr complex. Kay is pointing out that William feels like the victim here, that William feels “injured” and “bruised” by completely fair criticism of his own tone-deaf actions and words. Kay is exposing William for what he is: short-sighted, stupid, thin-skinned, selfish, arrogant.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Backgrid.