‘Clumsy’ Royals top of list

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 8

‘Clumsy’ Royals top of list

NZPA-PA London The Royal Family were yesterday labelled Britain’s “clumsiest communicators.” They outstripped all competition to head a Top 10 of public figures and organisations “most likely to put their foot in their mouth just when it matters most.” The Duchess of York was in her own position at number two while Edwina Currie, Paul Channon, Sal-

man Rushdie, the 8.8. C. and British Rail all featured strongly. The "Who’s Who of Clumsy Communication” was published by the public relations consultants, Simpson Fitzherbert Berman, after a year-long analysis of the media. It said the Royal Family, which should have the slickest press office in London, suffers from a “neverending series of communications blunders.” Among them were the failure of

any Royal to attend the Lockerbie memorial service, and the late announcement of which family member would attend Emperor Hirohito’s funeral. It also said the Duke of York was “ill-equipped” to deal with the situation when he went to the Lockerbie disaster scene. But the report had words of praise for Princes Charles and Edward for their handling of the media in certain situations.