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Why Palace hid King Charles' secret health battles
Inside King Charles health concerns
The British royal family has a reputation for maintaining a long-standing code of silence, particularly regarding personal matters.
When King Charles III was publicly revealed to be suffering from cancer in the early 2024, there was a critical ‘why’ behind the silence—why did the palace remain mum for such a long period of time?
Keeping the Monarchy in the Public Eye
The British Monarchy, particularly during the turbulent times of the pandemic, tried to remain in the public eye and govern the state of affairs. Public documents have shown that the family aimed to silence the noise, focusing on dispelling rumors and remaining resilient in the eyes of the public.
The primary challenge, in this case, is that the documents confirm that there is a serious risk regarding the crown.
A palace insider revealed, “The timing of the announcement was very calculated. The monarchy must be seen as a constant. Any signs of vulnerability are carefully managed.”
A Deeply Private Monarch
Even as he spends much of his time in the public eye, King Charles is a deeply private person. Employing a cautious approach, he has kept a tight lid on his private affairs during his entire life, including, his medical conditions. Close family members claim that he didn’t want to stir up undue alarm, empathy, or attention, so he chose to face his medical issues in the shadows, rather than the public spotlight.
Adhering To The Royal Norms
The Royal Family have been discreet as to health matters. Queen Elizabeth II did not reveal anything about her health, and even Prince Philip’s health issues were seldom clear. The palace appears to maintain the stance that every medical issue, even that of a sovereign, is a personal affair.
The palace still operates under the philosophy of “you must be seen to be believed,” as they have the monarch appear in public in good health.
Begin Formulating A Game Plan
Shifting the announcement pushed back gave public aides sufficient time to plan not only the treatment schedule but also the communications and public-facing duties. A meeting of royal physicians, advisers, and senior staff was necessary to plan how the illness …
Media Control and Narrative Management
Had a leak or some other unofficial channels revealed the information, the outcome would have been disastrous. The palace purposely kept the information a secret to maintain a narrative control over the situation. This helped in defining the ‘when’, ‘what’, ‘how’, and even the ‘diction’ to be used during the announcement. This helped prevent the grace associated with the announcement from being derailed by the British tabloids.
Impact on Family Relations
The personal dimension involves the Royal Family. We’ve seen a complex web of internal disputes with the Firm, ranging from The Duke of Sussex’s and Meghan’s estrangement, to the public’s disdain toward Prince Andrew.
A good deal of the royal drama would be worsened by a health crisis. Keeping the matter secret helped the family time to process the situation and allowed them to come together without the world watching or critiquing.
