This is the first Sunday after Prince William and Duchess Kate’s magical ski holiday photos were revealed, so of course all of the British Sunday papers ran some not-so-flattering articles about the Cambridges and how they are terribly tone-deaf. One of my favorites was this piece in the Daily Mail – the same paper referring to the prince as “Workshy Will” in articles for more than a week – written by the Middletons’ go-to royal reporter, Katie Nicholl. After Nicholl details the many, many PR gaffes from the Cambridges in the past few years (William announcing his anti-poaching initiative just after a hunting trip, the ski trip, etc), she says that the real blame is on Will and Kate’s young staffers, none of whom have the brass to say to no to Will and Kate. Um, really? I mean, I don’t doubt that Will and Kate could use some seasoned PR professionals on their team, but aren’t Will and Kate to blame for that? Some highlights:

When the problems began: “Royal insiders say the turning point in William’s fortunes came when the Cambridges and Prince Harry set up their new office at Kensington Palace two years ago. The move coincided with the departure of his former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton. A distinguished former SAS commander, Lowther-Pinkerton, 55, had spent a generation as a reassuring presence by the side of Princes William and Harry. Crucially, it is felt he was willing to stand up to the young man and William turned to him for advice right up until the birth of his first child Prince George in 2013, and made Lowther-Pinkerton godfather.”

Team Cambridge is too young: Today, William’s Private Secretary and team of aides are all, like him, in their 30s. One friend of the Royal Family says: “There is a feeling that perhaps there isn’t someone in William’s court who will put their foot down and say no if they think William is making the wrong decision”

Another source says: “William has changed and so have his aides. William needed Jamie for advice and counsel because he was younger, but he’s a grown-up man now with his own ideas and opinions. He has a clear idea of how he wants to steer his PR machine. He has a good team around him, but the point is they all listen to William and rarely question him when sometimes William does need to be questioned.”

Poor Jason: At Kensington Palace, the team of aides include Communications Director Jason Knauf, 30, an American who dealt with the near collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland as its spin doctor. He was appointed in 2014. A source says: “William was involved in the interviewing process when they appointed a new communications director and he liked Jason Knauf. Others who were interviewed had big ideas to bring to the table, but William wanted to do things his way.”

It’s really all about William: Nicholl writes: “Perhaps, though, the temptation to shoot the PR messengers should be resisted. Because the person pulling the strings is William himself. The Mail on Sunday can reveal it was William who decided not to follow the Royal tradition of posing on the slopes in favour of a private photoshoot with PA’s Royal photographer John Stillwell. The pictures were carefully selected by the couple before being released once they were safely back in Britain. And it seems likely that the release date was chosen by William himself, against advice from some in his team. He was apparently delighted to have kept the press in the dark.”

Ingrid Seward, Editor of Majesty magazine, says: “His aides are very young and very good, but the problem is William has never really taken advice and has a tendency to think he is always right.”

[From The Daily Mail]

Yes, and this is just my opinion: it’s not his PR staff, it’s William and Kate. They think they’re geniuses when really they have absolutely zero PR instincts. William hates to be questioned, corrected or advised, and Kate acquiesces to his wishes because she too is unwilling to change in the face of overwhelming criticism. While I think this piece is the first nail in Jason Knauf’s royal-career coffin, I think that’s pretty unfair. There’s a reason Will and Kate keep going through staffers like kleenex, and there’s a reason why Will and Kate keep having “PR gaffes” – they are difficult and unwilling to do the barest minimum of work.

Photos courtesy of WENN.