Every national newspaper in Britain announced on Tuesday that King Charles III had cancer. Articles praised the king for disclosing his condition and urged readers to support him.
The tabloid The Sun claimed that more people will be aware of the ailment following Buckingham Palace’s shocking announcement on Monday, which prompted an outpouring of solidarity from all across the world.
“We should applaud Charles for choosing to reveal his cancer diagnosis in order to assist public understanding for those around the world who are affected by cancer,” the tabloid wrote.
“Over the decades, His Majesty has been there for so many people, visiting hospitals and offering them hope,” it added.
“Now it is time for the nation to show how much they care for him, which I am sure they will.”
With the exception of ski and polo injuries, Charles, who ascended to the throne on September 8, 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has typically been in good health.
However, the palace announced that he had started treatment after “a separate issue of concern was noted” during his most recent hospital operation for benign prostate enlargement.
Most papers carried portraits of Charles on their front page. The Sun went with “King: I have cancer” as its headline, while fellow redtop The Daily Mirror had “King’s cancer shock”.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said the 75-year-old monarch’s diagnosis should be “no cause for alarm” and that from all accounts “the prognosis is good”.
“The key to dealing with cancer is to catch it early and that appears to have happened here,” the newspaper wrote in an editorial.
The Times took a more sceptical tone, saying that by refusing to disclose the precise form of cancer, Buckingham Palace may well start the rumour mill churning.
“By chosing to be open one minute and not the next, they may well inspire unwanted speculation,” the newspaper wrote.
“This strategy, however, runs the risk of leaving many people to assume that the King’s condition is more sinister than the Palace is letting on.”
The Guardian newspaper, less adoring of the British royal family than its rivals, said the king’s diagnosis will “once again” raise questions about whether it is fair to expect a man in his mid-70s to “fulfil a rota of public duties”.
“He in effect started his new job a decade after most men retire,” the newspaper wrote.
