The royal watch
‘M
odernisation” is a dangerous word for broadcasters when it comes to coverage of the Royal Family. So, too, is “journalism” if it intrudes too far into the ceremonial. Both are immediately construed by critics, especially those who like to bash the BBC, to mean the abandonment of tradition and a lack of respect for the monarchy. There have been ceremonial punishments in the national press for those who ventured down the modernising path. These have included the people who tried new approaches in the televising of the Jubilee river pageant in 2012 and those of us implicated in the scandal of the burgundy-coloured tie when Peter Sissons announced the death of the Queen Mother, in 2002.
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In the wake of Prince Philip’s death, Roger Mosey insists that broadcasters covering the Windsors must move with the times
Journalism earns its practitioners attacks from both sides. Nicholas Witchell, who has covered the royals fairly and dispassionately for BBC news programmes, is regularly the subject of social media mobs alleging establishment bias. But Prince Charles famously said: “I can’t bear that man. I mean, he’s so awful, he really is.” In reality, the monarchy is one of the national institutions that has
‘NOT OFFENDING ONE SET OF STAKEHOLDERS MANAGED TO CHEESE OFF OTHERS’
modernised most successfully. As The Crown reminds us, the reign of Elizabeth II began with deference and debutantes; now, Twitter is used to announce the death of Prince Philip. There have been Prince Andrewshaped missteps in engaging with the media, but the Palace has successfully embraced the digital world and it has never been shy of using television as a means to reach the people. It is completely right that the style and tone of the broadcasters should change, too. I was in BBC News 20 years ago when the Countess of Wessex was taken ill, and we realised that she was in a category of senior royals that would have meant, if the worst had happened, that all the networks would be merged together for a major obituary. We guessed that it might not be quite what audiences expected for this
