Royals: Kate and Wills visit Boston Celtics

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The decision to have the Prince and Princess of Wales attend the NBA match between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Wednesday evening has been described as a “significant own goal” made by the Palace by a PR and reputation management expert. Commentator Edward Coram James analysed the engagement carried out by Kate and Prince William on their first day in Boston after a small portion of NBA fans booed the royals and chanted “USA” when they appeared on the maxi-screens at TD Garden in downtown Boston.

The CEO of Go Up told Express.co.uk: “In some respects the decision by the Palace to send the Prince and Princess of Wales to watch the Boston Celtics was a significant own goal.”

Mr Coram James went on to say Boston is a city that “carries a decidedly anti-traditional-elites, and thus anti-royal undercurrent”.

This, combined with the “progressive left leaning politics of the city” and the popularity of anti-royalist cultural phenomena such as the Hamilton musical created the “perfect storm” for the couple to face some resistance during the NBA game featuring the basketball team of the Massachusetts capital, the expert said. 

Despite the incident at the match and the anti-traditional-elites stand mentioned by the expert, people in Boston have provided a warm welcome to Kate and William and large crowds have been gathering on Wednesday and Thursday to catch a glimpse of the royals and show their appreciation for them. 

However, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ response to the scattered boos and chants could actually help win the Royal Family some supporters, the PR expert continued. 

He said: “There is of course sense in shoring up your core support base by having the royals make appearances among royal sympathisers throughout a broadly pro-royal UK.

“However, a core feature of winning hearts and minds is to make difficult appearances among unfriendly audiences, and doing so with humility, grace, good humour and resilience.

“This is something that the Royal Family has never shied away from, most memorably in their recent tours to the Caribbean.”

The PR expert added that, by showing the “stark contrast” between the small pockets of booing people and “a smiling, water off a duck’s back royal couple”, some around the world will be more inclined to side with the Prince and Princess. 

He continued: “Indeed, it is highly likely that many of the Celtics fans themselves will have left feeling a shift in attitude and a begrudging sense of respect for the composure shown by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

“In that very real respect, the visit can easily be seen as a significant PR success.”

Roz Sheldon, managing director of PR agency Igniyte, also believes the Prince and Princess of Wales behaved impeccably in response to the booing.

She told Express.co.uk: “William and Kate took the booing in their stride. They were there to support the communities involved and they did just that. They both stayed until the end, were courteous, and shook hands with fans. 

“Kate and William did what they do best – relate to people and their communities on a one-to-one personal level.” 

Andy Barr, PR specialist and CEO at 10yetis.co.uk, also praised the Prince and Princess of Wales for their reaction to the booing.

He told Express.co.uk: “What should be praised is the way that the couple dealt with the booing and chants. The mantra of ‘Never Complain, Never Explain’ kicked into its full extent and you would never have realised that they were under such a prolonged verbal attack by [NBA] fans.”

The two royals are on a three-day-long visit to Boston this week, which will culminate on Friday evening in the Earthshot Prize’s second award ceremony.

In the run-up to the star-studded event, the royals are getting to know local organisations focused on supporting young people, early childhood development and helping the vulnerable.

Alongside attending the NBA match on Wednesday, Kate and William got to know representatives of the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, which provides grassroots programming and strategic funding to local organisations serving at risk or at need populations. 

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