Kensington Palace has been trying to do some clean-up on a pretty terrible PR crisis for Prince William in recent weeks, if not months. Personally, I think this latest crisis started in September, when Prince Harry spent four days in England, then traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine. The British media couldn’t hide the fact that William was close to a nervous breakdown because… Harry got good press and Harry met with Charles. It’s been downhill since then, with William and Kate’s refusal to work, their unpopular move into Forest Lodge (a move where they grabbed 150 acres of a public park and shut down a children’s center), and the pièce de résistance, the Earthflop debacle in Brazil, during which William’s big-boy thunder was stolen by his family. We should also note that William surrounds himself with clowns as advisors, which we’ve also seen in recent years, with their horrifically bad crisis management. Which means their version of “clean up” is just “declare victory and pretend that everything is going to plan.” From People Magazine’s curious article:

Optimistic Huevo: “He’s leaving Rio with a renewed sense of optimism about what Earthshot can deliver. We’re seeing the impact Earthshot finalists are delivering. The momentum is really feeling unstoppable,” a palace source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

Credible Bill: “He’s a very credible voice,” the U.K.’s ambassador to Brazil, Stephanie Al-Qaq, tells PEOPLE. “He’s more than ready to step into that space.” Adds Jacinda Ardern, the former New Zealand prime minister and an Earthshot trustee: “He’s pretty consistent. It’s been, ‘How do we do more? How do we scale? How do we better support the finalists?’ ”

The Prince Andrew mess: “William has a strong personal core,” as does his wife, Kate Middleton, says a close source. Together, the insider adds, they embody values “such as constancy, consistency, steadiness and a safe place for the country to reach out to.”

William wants Andrew to be dealt with quickly: In the weeks prior [to Earthshot], the family had confronted the fallout from his uncle’s royal scandal. While William fully supported his father’s decision, there are those who believe he urged closure sooner — and more strongly. “There was pressure from William, who would not want to inherit the headache,” says a source close to the royal household. Adds a palace insider: “He would want it dealt with as quickly as possible.”

Intense Bill: In Rio, William’s environmental purpose took on an unmistakable intensity. From the Sugarloaf summit to Copacabana Beach, the Prince of Wales carried himself less as a royal guest and more as a global advocate. “He’s a door-opener,” says Runa Khan, founder of Friendship, a nonprofit aiding climate-affected communities in Bangladesh, and an Earthshot winner.

Statesman Bill: On Nov. 6, he brought that energy to Belém for the world leaders’ COP30 summit. Stepping off the plane alongside U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer — who had also attended the Earthshot Prize the night before — he looked at home among politicians and heads of state. Following in his father’s footsteps on climate advocacy, William delivered his speech in his own empathetic style, reminiscent of his late mother, Princess Diana, who made her own memorable visit to the country in 1991.

But Harry got attention: The royal remained engaged even as his estranged brother Prince Harry unexpectedly announced a trip to Canada for his own series of Remembrance events — catching palace aides by surprise, despite Harry’s team saying it had informed them.

[From People]

I find it embarrassing when American outlets cut-and-paste from palace emails. This kind of embiggening coverage is horrible for both People Mag AND William. Once you see how William and Kate force the press to treat them like reluctant toddlers who need wall-to-wall praise for every single thing, you can never unsee it. “William delivered his speech in his own empathetic style, reminiscent of his late mother, Princess Diana.” You are a liar telling lies. “The Prince of Wales carried himself less as a royal guest and more as a global advocate…” They’re still trying to force people to forget those volleyball photos. And the “credible voice” stuff is hilarious – Kate gets the same fluffery too, she’s a “credible expert” on the Early Years, don’t you know. Will and Kate really are the two most credible experts in environmentalism and childhood development, we swear! They’re both global statesmen! William is just like Diana! No, Kate is just like Diana! Embarrassing.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.