Double cancer blow to King Charles, Kate strains Britain’s royal family
LONDON — The Princess of Wales’ disclosure she has cancer and will take time off to recover leaves the ranks of working royals depleted and strains a monarchy King Charles III sought to slim down.
Kate’s announcement Friday prompted an outpouring of goodwill toward her and for a royal family facing two serious health crises. Some of the social media frenzy that has swirled in the princess’ absence from public view may now seep away.
But with the king also being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, and Prince William helping to care for Kate and their children over the Easter break, the ranks of working royals have been thinned, making the monarchy’s future suddenly look fragile.
“This is a smaller ... royal family than Britain is used to,” veteran journalist Andrew Marr wrote in the New Statesman magazine. “It scarcely seems believable that ... a decade ago, people were complaining about there being ... too many members of it.”
Prince Harry is in California, estranged from his brother. Prince Andrew is in disgrace over his friendship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and faced allegations of sexual abuse. So it falls to Queen Camilla and a few others to be the public face of a monarchy that has increased sympathy but reduced visibility.
“It’s a remarkable situation and a significant moment for the monarchy and the institution so early in the king’s reign that two senior figures should be out of action,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “The pressure is on a much smaller team.”
Partly in response to gripes that taxpayers were funding a small army of royals, Charles resolved to run a tighter ship when he took the throne in 2022, with a core group of senior family members carrying out most of the work.
The nature of that work may not be apparent, especially to people outside the U.K., but it is plentiful. The monarch has no political power but plays a constitutional role that includes signing bills into law and meeting regularly with government ministers.
The king and his children are patrons of many charities, professional bodies and sporting organizations, as well as ceremonial colonels-in-chief of military regiments and dispensers of medals for valor and public achievements.