Prince William and Kate Middleton took their children to sporting events on Sunday, which a PR expert said made them seem more approachable.
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The kids of the royal family made a splash again over the weekend.
On Sunday, Kate Middleton attended the men's singles final at Wimbledon with Princess Charlotte, 9, accompanying her.
The event marked Kate's first solo royal engagement of 2024 and only her second of the year.
She attended Trooping the Colour on June 15, almost three months after she revealed she was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."
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The same day the women of the Wales family headed to Wimbledon, Prince William went to Berlin to watch the UEFA Euro final match between England and Spain.
He brought Prince George, 10, with him, and they were photographed watching the game together in the royal box in coordinating suits.
As Evan Nierman, the CEO and founder of the global PR firm Red Banyan, told Business Insider, Kate and Will's latest public appearances elevate the family-oriented image they've been putting forward in recent months.
"It's very consistent with the strategy they've been employing to emphasize the unity of their family and to benefit from how simply adorable their children are," Nierman said.
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The appearances at Wimbledon and the Euro final come on the heels of the entire Wales family attending Trooping the Colour together, William taking Charlotte and George to Taylor Swift's Eras tour in London, and Kate and Will sharing more candid photos of their kids in recent weeks.
Now, they seem to be embracing the positive energy their children bring to public engagements and pairing it with a sense of patriotism.
As Nierman told BI, both Wimbledon and the Euro Championship allowed Kate and William to highlight their support of the UK alongside their affection for their children.
"There are multiple levels to the benefit of having their kids appear with them at the sporting events," he said, going on to say that they are not only "leveraging the adorability and likability of their children" but they are also "supporting England and promoting their country."
"Not only are they showing up and putting their best foot forward, they're doing it in the support of and furtherance of their country," Nierman said.
Kate and William appeared to double down on that message with the photo they shared of Charlotte and Louis watching the Euro final on a TV in England jerseys. The jerseys said each child's name and used their age for the number.
From a public relations perspective, showing two royals watching a sporting event on TV like any other child might watch makes the royals more accessible.
"The monarchy always struggles with how to maintain their dignity and the regal nature of the institution while at the same time being approachable for the average citizen," Nierman said. "And I think nothing says a part of the people more than supporting their soccer team."
"It shows them doing the same thing that others were doing all over the UK in recent days," he added of the photo of Charlotte and Louis. "It's a way of helping people identify with them in a context that's also cute and fun."
When Kate revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy in March, she noted that part of the reason she had not gone public with the news earlier was to protect her children. She said she and William had "been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family."
The quality time Kate and Will are publicly spending with their children now gives credence to the idea that they were focused on them throughout Kate's absence during the first five months of the year.
"They're being consistent, and they're putting their money where their mouth is, and that's what is really significant here," Nierman said of William and Kate.
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"Actions speak louder than words, and by showcasing their connection to their children and their focus on the family, they're proving that it wasn't just talk," he added.
As William's importance in the royal family continues to grow over time as heir to the throne, Nierman thinks spending more public time with his family is a smart move for him.
"William just building upon this public image as a devoted husband and father is a winning strategy for him," he told BI, adding that being spotted with George publicly is particularly powerful.
"It's William with another man in his family that he's obviously close with in a positive context," Nierman said. "His father, King Charles, has always struggled in the likability category, and meanwhile, his relationship with his brother is clearly strained. So this is an obvious choice and a good one for sure."
