King Charles is a 'quieter monarch than people expected' after his 'PR disasters'

King Charles and Queen Camilla
King Charles and Queen Camilla at their Coronation
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Dorothy Reddin

By Dorothy Reddin


Published: 26/12/2023

- 19:00

The King had a 'tough act to follow' after Queen Elizabeth II

King Charles is a "quieter monarch than people expected" after his "PR disasters", a public relations expert has claimed.

The King assumed the throne on September 8, 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.


According to the founder of Dauntless PR, Luana Ribeira, the late Queen was "always going to be an exceptionally tough act to follow".

She exclusively told GB News: "Queen Elizabeth II was always going to be an exceptionally tough act to follow and King Charles came to the role with his fair share of PR disasters (like the 1993 Tampongate scandal) under his belt.

WATCH NOW: King Charles was crowned in May at Westminster Abbey

"When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne, she was young and had an unblemished record in the eyes of the public.

"People knew little about her as a private individual, allowing her to retain an air of dignity and even mystery as the monarch."

However, the future King "did not have this privilege", according to the PR expert.

Ribeira explained: "King Charles did not have this privilege and had already had a lifetime of being in the public eye. From the moment he became king, the British public already had a long list of opinions on his first marriage and divorce, his relationship with his sons, his marriage to Queen Camilla and his opinions on the environment.

King Charles and Camilla

King Charles had a PR blunder whilst having trouble with a pen in September 2022

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"Starting the role as someone people know so much about is challenging from a PR perspective and King Charles has largely flown under the radar in the first year or so of his reign.

"He has rightly avoided doing anything which could be seen as obviously controversial and has perhaps been a quieter monarch than people might have expected.

"He has had his moments – like the video catching him getting frustrated with a pen – but his main difficulties have been due to his family relationships.

"His strained relationship with Prince Harry and his son’s legal wrangles with the press will have caused King Charles and his PR team a major headache along with the inevitable scrutiny of his relationship with his younger brother Prince Andrew. But I think King Charles has been wise to remain quiet on these matters."

Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles

King Charles had a 'tough act to follow' after Queen Elizabeth II

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The Crown

King Charles could also have been apprehensive about The Crown Season Six, according to the PR expert

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The PR expert also discussed the final season of Netflix's The Crown and how this might have impacted Charles's reign.

Ribeira added: "The sixth series of The Crown will have also added to his woes with the first half of the season focusing on the death of Princess Diana.

"Although the show’s portrayal of his character was largely sympathetic, it will have inevitably stirred up the public’s emotions surrounding his first marriage and the way Diana was treated in a way which I imagine King Charles would have rather done without."

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