With the United Kingdom Government arraigned before our Supreme Court to determine, whether they had the legal right to abrogate Parliament earlier and longer than it should have been the case, the important business of government has almost been sidelined for the past three years, after the Brexit referendum to leave the European Union.
The Conservative Government’s total belief in a free trade deal with the Trump Administration is a major part of the government’s mad drive towards an exit from the EU without a workable deal. How they could trust that man in the White House, is very difficult to comprehend. The crazy goings-on at the White House should inform, if they needed any proof, that ‘a good and unparalleled trade deal’, as the occupant oft trumpets, would be very difficult to achieve. One cannot even trust that man.
These uncertain days are when, a clever government would deploy the best diplomatic ammunition – soft power – the UK has, to foreign countries to “soften” and “smoothen” the way for businesses to follow up. I am, of course referring to soft power the Royal Family has in abundance.
The Monarch was best at this, when she could go on long flights to countries that needed to be influenced. Unfortunately, she cannot do that anymore and everyone knows the reason. Prince Charles is good at it, but not a big draw these days, although he still packs some respect. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been utilised before, but they suffer from charisma bypass, that would not generate much business interest anywhere, unless of course they are required to talk about their children.
Of course, the UK fortunately has the royal power couple with the global reac, who could step in confidently where the Monarch used to thread. The Australian and New Zealand governments deliberately invited them to visit their countries last year, although the Invictus Games was going on in Sidney. Naturally, I am talking about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Sussexes understand diplomacy (the Duchess almost became a diplomat, after all) and business. Some royal visits abroad could be structured around charities and business. The power the Sussexes have would benefit foreign and UK businesses and governments, including the UK, if such visits are cleverly thought out like their visit to Southern Africa from Monday. It is not surprising that the Duchess would speak about entrepreneurship in South Africa, which is fantastically a good sign.
To call the CEOs of two of the largest retail companies in Europe and a mid range successful company in the UK and invite them to take part in her charity endeavour, which has turned out to be very successful, is a case in point. The Duke has also got together with organisations in the travel and holiday industries to invest in environmental projects in the developing world that mostly rely on tourism. The outcomes would benefit the local communities in terms of employment and helping families.
I take the point that countries are different from Blue chip companies, but their Presidents or Prime Ministers, have even more pressing social problems with their constituents than CEOs. They have to provide jobs, infrastructure, health, education and security, which the Duke is acutely aware of and is encouraging and even broached at during the launch of the joint projects with those companies.
Conservative and rightwing politicians in the UK have basically made a mess of our membership of the European Union, because of bigotry and loony nationalism. Whatever ensues in the near future, would require the royal participation of the Sussexes. Whichever party forms the next government in the near future, would have to recognise that fact.
Of course, the rabid right-wing columnists on right-wing conservative press do not see the Sussexes as contributing to UK plc this way. They write about the royals using the Southern Africa tour to redeem their “tarnished image” by using their son front, back and centre to do that. What awful thoughts from people, who call themselves cultured and parents. It says much about them and the friendships they keep, because I cannot see why, if the Sussexes have committed heinous ‘public flogging crimes’ and should prostitute their baby, they are still the sought after senior royals.
If the Sussexes have lost public confidence or to put it crudely, “love”, then the Duchess would not have sold out the September issue of the British Vogue in just two weeks. The magazine would not have made global headlines and spoken about in its hundred and thirty two years history. The issue is now being sold on eBay for five times its special retail price of £ 2.00. She would not have made a tremendous success of the Smart Set capsule. No one in the Royal Family or outside it in this country, can do that and this is all for charity.
The Sussexes’ successes are largely driven by members of the general public – royal supporters and non – and their dedicated supporters. These right-wingers have to get it through their fuzzy old heads that, outside of their family and friends, the public knows the Sussexes are doing swell jobs, none of the young royals can do or match. The Duchess is still a selling phenomenon no one in the UK can match. Talk of losing touch.
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