The editorial treatment of King Charles III’s cancer

Richard Place, correspondent in London, is at the microphone of Emmanuelle Daviet, the Radio France broadcast mediator to answer questions from listeners.

We learned on Monday, February 5, at the end of the day that King Charles III was suffering from cancer which will keep him away from public life for an unknown period of time. This announcement caused a shock in the United Kingdom.

Emmanuelle Daviet: Some listeners don’t understand why so much air time was devoted to this news from February 5, at the end of the day?

Richard Place: Well, because the royal family is a very important thing here in the UK. But we saw it at the time of the Queen’s funeral, and the coronation of King Charles. It is also a center of attraction for the whole world. For France too, there is a real curiosity for this royal family. And then this illness comes so soon after his coronation. It has been less than two years since King Charles III was crowned. There is a form of tragedy in his destiny.

This man who waited so long to finally become king. His mother, I remind you, reigned for more than 70 years. Today he himself is 75 years old. So if ultimately, a cancer which breaks out for a man of that age is something unfortunately quite common, it is true that from the moment it affects the royal family, it takes on other proportions.

A listener wonders and would like to know if the media coverage of a personality’s health problems is an opportunity to talk more openly about screening for possible illnesses and to raise awareness among the general public?

So that, clearly, in the United Kingdom, has been quantified in recent days. For example, 42% more connections to the site of an awareness and support organization for patients. Besides, the royal family serves at least that, that’s obvious. Two weeks ago, when we learned that the king was going to be operated on for an enlarged prostate, the page on the NHS website, that is to say the public health services dedicated to this problem, was consulted 10 times more than usual.

Moreover, Buckingham chose to reveal the illness also to raise awareness. The Palace made it known where Elizabeth II was very secretive. Charles III decided to communicate the revelation of this disease, which served to attract attention, and undoubtedly more prevention here in the United Kingdom. We can also imagine that in France, people have also asked themselves the question.

It also showed to what extent British hospitals are overwhelmed and in difficulty. This is a known subject since the pandemic. In particular, public health suffers from a lack of human and financial resources here, but with the king’s illness, new figures have come out. For example, 35% of people who have been diagnosed with cancer wait more than two months before receiving their first treatment. Doctors repeat that speed of action is decisive. We also talked about all of this on Franceinfo, during this news.

And how do you explain, as a correspondent in London, that as soon as information relating to the royal family is mentioned in France, we see that it enormously polarizes French public opinion?

Because in France, we guillotined our king at the end of the 18th century. The English had done it before us, but they kept a monarchy. And it’s true that vis-à-vis this monarchy, we feel a French passion, and a passion that goes in both directions, hatred for some no doubt, among the people who sent these annoyed messages, and it There is indeed a rejection of this royal family, of royalty, in whatever form it may be.

There is also, as we can clearly see, every piece of royal news, and in particular in recent years, there have been many with the Queen’s platinum jubilee, her death, the king’s coronation. Each time, especially on our sites, we see that there are a lot of people who consult these pages. There is therefore also a real interest in this royal family, which fascinates us as much as it annoys us. We don’t really understand what it is for. And it’s true, when you’re in the UK. I have now lived there for a little over three and a half years.

We see how much of a rock it is, something that people cling to. So not all. There is a real difference between the youngest and the oldest in the country. Clearly, we see it in the polls. For young people, it is a family that seems distant. It’s a crown to which they are not necessarily very attached. But the majority of British people remain attached to this crown which nevertheless remains an anchor point. A curiosity too.

And then it’s still in “royal family”, there is “royal”, there is this crown, but there is family too. This is a family that knows its setbacks, like all families do here. And finally, there is something of the order of the saga, the illnesses, the divorces, the anger, the legal problems, All of this means that, obviously, it focuses attention.