King Charles III's openness about cancer has helped him connect with people

King Charles IIIs decision to be open about his cancer diagnosis has helped the new monarch connect with the people of Britain and strengthened the monarchy in the year since his dazzling coronation at Westminster AbbeyCharles has used his illness to highlight the need for early diagnosis and treatment showing leadership at a time of personal hardship And in the process people have begun to see him as a more fleshandblood character who faces the same challenges as them not just an archetype of wealth and privilegeUltimately the great leveler is health said Anna Whitelock a professor of the history of the monarchy at City University London And the fact is the royal family like so many other families are coping with a cancer diagnosis And I think that has taken the energy out of big challenges to the kingQuestions still remain Can a 1000yearold inherited monarchy represent the people of modern Britain How will the institution address concerns about its links to empire and slavery Should the monarchy be replaced with an elected head of stateBut for now at least those issues have been largely set aside as the 75yearold king undergoes treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer Of all the things experts expected the royal family to face in the year following Charles coronation the events of the last five months took Britain by surpriseFirst Charles was treated for an enlarged prostate then he revealed his cancer diagnosis That was followed quickly by the announcement that the Princess of Wales Prince Williams wife Kate also had cancer Both retreated from public duties to focus on their healthWilliam followed suit so he could support his wife and the couples three young childrenIt was not just the septuagenarian monarch who was ill but the much younger future queen Her spouse needed to help out Suddenly the royal family seemed much more vulnerable more humanWith three senior royals out of action the Windsors were stretched thin as they tried to keep up with the perpetual whirl of ceremonial appearances awards presentations and ribbon cuttings that make up the life of a modern royal Into the breach stepped of all people Queen CamillaOnce seen as the scourge of the House of Windsor because of her role in the breakup of Charles marriage to the late Princess Diana Camilla emerged as one of the monarchys most prominent emissaries Increasing her schedule of appearances the queen played a crucial role in keeping the royal family in the public eyeWherever she went royal fans offered get well cards and words of encouragement for Charles and Kate In many ways the story of Charles first year since the coronation is about the rise of Camilla and how effective shes been in representing the king Whitelock saidThe crowds reaching out to her has actually been quite remarkable she said So I think this first year has very much been the reign of Charles and Camilla in a way that we would never have imaginedTogether they helped create a year of stability for the monarchy despite predictions from some critics that the death of Queen Elizabeth II would usher in an era of change Thats not to say Charles is free from troubles many in his own familyThe kings relationship with his younger son was strained even before Prince Harry and his wife Meghan ditched royal duties and moved to California in 2020 But the publication early last year of Harrys bombshell memoir Spare deepened the rift with allegations about the unintentional racism of the royal family and sweetheart deals with the tabloid pressAnd then there is Charles brother Prince Andrew whose links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to cause headaches for the king Just last month Netflix dropped a fulllength movie about the disastrous 2019 interview in which Andrew tried to justify his relationship with EpsteinBut throughout the last year Charles worked to increase openness about the workings of the monarchy continued to speak out on environmental issues and promoted interfaith dialogue said George Gross a royal historian at Kings College LondonThen came the kings decision to publicize his health problems to demonstrate the benefits of early intervention in a country where cancer survival rates lag behind those in many other wealthy nationsOut of adversity hes managed to turn it around Its wrong to say hes taken advantage of it because its a disastrous situation to be in and anyone with a cancer diagnosis will be very worried very concerned Gross said But it has been this way that as a head of state hes been able to do good with a very simple message and I think thats an extraordinary thingCharles underscored his message last week when he began his return to publicfacing duties with a visit to a cancercare centerTouring the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in central London the king sat with Lesley Woodbridge a 63yearold cancer patient and held her hand as chemotherapy drugs dripped slowly into her armIts always a bit of a shock isnt it when they tell you he said adding Ive got to have my treatment this afternoon as wellIts the kind of personal connection Britons dont usually expect from the royals who are known more for reserve than emotionAfter the king announced his diagnosis Cancer Research UK recorded a 3337 increase in visits to its website as people sought information about the signs of cancer said Michelle Mitchell chief executive of the charityThat may have saved lives And it connected people to the kingMitchell said she was struck by how very personal the kings visit to the cancer center wasPatients willingly told their cancer stories to Charles and Camilla and the royal couple responded with intimate details of their own journey she saidI observed not just empathy but real compassion Mitchell said And overall the atmosphere of the day was one of hope but hope I think framed with the importance of research bringing greater progressThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts 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