Working as the official press secretary for Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry would be a great gig ... if anyone could actually land it. Their former media-handler left his position nearly two months ago, and while a string of extremely qualified candidates have been interviewed for the job, Prince William is reportedly making the process difficult.
According to The Daily Mail, securing a new PR person has become extremely tedious.
Former BBC producer Ed Perkins quit Kensington Palace more than seven weeks ago, after only two years as their press secretary, and Prince William, Kate and [Prince] Harry have still not found a suitable candidate to succeed him.
"It's a nightmare," claims a senior courtier to the Mail. "Prince William does not take advice readily — let's put it like that. Several well-qualified candidates have been ruled out."
William has a reputation for being strong-willed, but a Kensington Palace spokesman denies suggestions that the prince has made clear that he does not want anyone who has worked at Buckingham Palace or Prince Charles's office at Clarence House," says the Mail's report.
One of the problems in hiring someone is connected to the power struggle that goes on behind the scenes between William and his father, Prince Charles. In January, Charles tried to have his people take over the young royal's official press office so he could monitor the information that actually gets to the general public. The feeling was that the commoners much prefer William, Kate and Harry because of a PR approach that sometimes feels like propaganda. If Charles is to be the next king of the United Kingdom, then he is the one who needs the positive press, not his son.
Charles's taking over his son's press office ultimately failed, but because of the clash William is refusing to hire anyone who has either worked for Charles or at Buckingham Palace. He wants the job to go to someone who is completely loyal to the younger royals, but finding someone who is experienced enough to really do the job is proving to be a tough task.
Do you blame William for wanting to hire someone who has never worked for the royal family before? Is it a smart move, or do you think he is being as foolish as some of the insiders seem to believe? Comment below.
