5 Times the Royal Family Broke Their ‘Never Complain, Never Explain’ Rule

Over the years, the royal family has bound itself by several rules. 'Never complain, never explain' could perhaps be at the top of the list. However, not every situation can be handled with silence or ignorance, and there have been several moments when the royals were forced to break their cardinal rule.

One of the most recent examples of the royals breaking their ‘never complain, never explain’ rule was King Charles’ unprecedented response to Earl Spencer’s new book on Princess Diana. One of the bombshell claims concerned King Charles’ alleged response to the public outpouring of grief after Diana’s tragic demise. Spencer revealed that the King had allegedly said the world would forget Diana soon. In response, the King released a statement which read, “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory in ways others do not recognize, even many years after such a loss.”

A few years ago, a social media post alleged that Princess Kate had undergone ‘baby botox’, a cosmetic procedure that uses smaller units of botulinum toxin to soften fine lines while maintaining natural facial expressions. However, a Kensington Palace spokesperson clarified that the claims were “categorically untrue”. They further added that "the Royal Family never endorses commercial activity."

The Sussexes have also made quite a few bombshell revelations, including Meghan Markle having experienced racism during her time in the Firm. Following their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Palace released a statement saying the “whole family” was “saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.” The statement mentioned that the Sussexes will always be “much loved family members,” but not before clarifying that “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning” and that “some recollections may vary.” However, the Palace stated they will be taken “very seriously” and will be addressed by the family “privately”. Later, when a reporter asked Prince William, "Is the Royal Family a racist family, sir?" he firmly said: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

In 2024, following the announcement of an abdominal surgery, the Princess of Wales had been largely absent from the public eye for months. Perhaps in an attempt to put an end to the rising questions, Kensington Palace released a photo of the royal with her three kids for Mother’s Day. But the picture did even more damage as people suspected it was edited with AI. Finally, the Princess had to release a statement addressing the speculation: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” she wrote. Later that month, she also revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

At times, the rule maker also has to break their own rules. The late Queen Elizabeth proved it when she gave her infamous Annus Horribilis speech at Guildhall in 1992 to address the rather unfortunate events that had afflicted the family that year. Incidentally, the event was held to celebrate her 40th year as monarch, but the Queen found herself saying, "I sometimes wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year. I dare say that history will take a slightly more moderate view than that of some contemporary commentators." The monumental speech helped lower the drawbridges, an effect that has always worked in the monarchy’s favor. So, sometimes, it just may be a good decision to break rules.