The United Kingdom is in shock.
King Charles III, 75, is suffering from a “form of cancer”, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.
“During the King's recent hospital procedure for benign prostatic enlargement, another area of concern was noted.
Subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer,” the palace said, without elaborating on the stage or location of the cancer.
By communicating about his state of health, the king breaks with a tradition of opacity surrounding the state of health of members of the royal family.
The announcement of the king's surgical intervention last month had already marked a change, as did the assurance that the abdominal operation undergone in mid-January by Princess Kate Middleton was "not cancer ".
Sign of modernity
“This is something new: at the time of Elizabeth II, there was complete silence on the state of health of royal dignitaries,” explains to the Parisian Sophie Soccard, lecturer in English-speaking cultural studies, who recalls the adage of the queen: “Do not complain, do not explain.”
For the specialist, “this communication, in the moment, is a sign of adaptation to modernity” of Charles III, crowned on May 6.
“This new strategy adopted by the king and his advisors began with his trip to France.
Unusually, his every move was immediately reported on his Instagram account, as if it was necessary to avoid possible counter-information or to ensure the primacy of the information to be transmitted,” adds Sophie Soccard. .
Also read: Cancer of Charles III: who could replace the king during his public interventions?
The Crown thus seems to adopt a strategy of controlling the story, while giving few details on the state of health of the sovereign, “Victorian modesty” obliges.
“There is a desire to give information, distilled in small doses, to the people who have the right to know, while using it to increase national cohesion which is crumbling,” adds the lecturer.
Charles III's lack of popularity, the desire of certain countries to leave the Commonwealth, the departure of Harry and Meghan to the United States, the sidelining of Prince Andrew due to his links with Jeffrey Epstein... The British royal family is going through a difficult hard time.
“The fact that Prince Harry visits his father shows that the core of the monarchy sticks together,” points out Sophie Soccard.
This can be used as proof that the monarchy is doing well.
» Since Monday, testimonies of support have multiplied with regard to the sovereign.
Awareness objective
The effort at transparency shown by Charles III, first on his prostate operation then on his cancer, also pursues an awareness-raising objective.
On the occasion of the corrective procedure for enlarged prostate, the Crown indicated that the king had “personally” chosen to share his diagnosis to encourage men to be screened.
The National Health Service (NHS) subsequently reported an “encouraging” increase in the number of people searching for information on its website.
“Her Majesty has chosen to share her diagnosis in order to avoid speculation and in the hope that it will help the public understand all those affected by cancer around the world,” said the Buckingham Palace press release on Monday.
A statement from Buckingham Palace: https://t.co/zmYuaWBKw6
📷 Samir Hussein pic.twitter.com/xypBLHHQJb
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 5, 2024
The king's cancer "was detected early", reassured British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday to the BBC.
Enough to encourage screening.
According to figures from cancer charity Cancer Research UK, only 54% of cancers with a known stage are diagnosed at stages 1 and 2. The target from NHS England, the national public health agency, is to move to 75% early detection by 2028. More than 5,000 lives could be saved each year thanks to screening programs, recalls the association.