The news that King Charles’s cancer treatment will be moving into a new phase as of next year is undeniably welcome, both for him on a personal level and for those who have been anxiously wishing him well since his diagnosis in January 2024. He offered the nation an update on his situation last night in a televised message, broadcast on Channel 4 as part of its ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ special programming, and appeared to speak candidly about what he called ‘my cancer journey’.
In best public service broadcasting fashion, Charles said: ‘Your life – or the life of someone you love – may depend upon it.’
During his appearance, the monarch said ‘Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.’ He called this ‘milestone’ both ‘a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 per cent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.’
He praised the ‘community of care’ and ‘the specialists, the nurses, researchers and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives’, and urged viewers not to delay seeking cancer screenings ‘because they imagine it may be frightening, embarrassing or uncomfortable’. In best public service broadcasting fashion, Charles said: ‘Your life – or the life of someone you love – may depend upon it.’
The broadcast, which was recorded a fortnight ago in Clarence House, was deeply personal. It proved, once again, that the king is determined to break with tradition when it comes to being a very public figure. Secure in the knowledge that his one-time bromance chum Sir Keir Starmer is now so unpopular that anything he says – even sensible practical advice of the kind Charles delivered in his broadcast – would be ignored by most Britons, the monarch is in the privileged position of expecting that he will actually be listened to. It is perfectly possible that his five-minute address, allied to David Cameron’s recent disclosure of his prostate cancer diagnosis, will do more to send people to the doctor for precautionary tests than just about anything else.
Still, there is a balance to be found with the monarchy between apparent candour and the actual truth, and even this worthwhile and timely address has been careful in what it said. Buckingham Palace put out a bland statement last night saying: ‘His Majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase. This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritise his continued recovery. As the King has said, this milestone on his recovery journey is ‘a great personal blessing’.’
All fair enough. But given that it has never been made public what kind of cancer Charles is suffering from, and details of his treatment have been kept to a bare minimum – his dramatic hospitalisation in March this year was played down as ‘temporary side effects’ – it is tempting to wonder whether this ‘precautionary phase’ is as harmless as those around him would like it to be. After all, there would be great national joy if it could be announced that his illness has either been cured or has gone into remission, but no such statement has been made or, for the time being, looks like it could be made. And in the absence of further details, rumours will continue to persist, however baseless and absurd they might be, just as they proliferated about the Princess of Wales’s health.
Cynics will also wonder why, exactly, this statement is being made now, at a time of potential crisis for the institution of the monarchy. After a considerable period of prevarication, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s loss of his titles and royal status should have been enough to bring that grim matter to an end. But then the debate about the Crown Estate’s financial affairs superseded it, meaning that the Firm is no longer on the front foot reputationally. As a man, Charles will only attract sympathy and understanding, but as the figurehead for a beleaguered institution, he runs the risk of looking weak: a sick man in charge of a declining kingdom.
In less than a fortnight, the king will address the nation once again, on Christmas Day. He has a great deal that he may wish to discuss, after what has been another difficult year for his family, although the chances of him mentioning either his troublesome younger brother or wayward younger son are slim-to-nil. It is likely that last night’s broadcast will end up being the more consequential and memorable of the two, and one can only salute the king and his advisors for his very personal participation. But, perhaps, it is also time for the final traditions of protocol to be dispensed with and for honesty, not press releases, to define further such updates.
