“The King has cancer”, the covers of British newspapers in shock over Charles III’s illness

King Charles III’s cancer monopolized the covers of British newspapers and tabloids and, far from any creative breakthrough, the British press mostly opted for a direct style: “The King has cancer” was the most repeated headline.

The mainstream newspaper The Times did not push another story to the front page. “The King has cancer”, captioned and chose a posed photo of the monarch published yesterday by Buckingham Palace, showing him during his visit to France in September last year. The image is accompanied by a note on how the information was made known and the impact it has had worldwide.

The Guardian, on the other hand, was the outlet that gave the least weight to Rey’s cancer diagnosis. Without a photo, he placed the song as the main title of his two-column cover, along with a Grammy-winning photo of Taylor Swift.

The Daily Telegraph opted for the official photo released by the Palace press office and a catastrophic headline: “The king has cancer”. The newspaper reports that all of Carlos III’s commitments have been cancelled, that he is “as optimistic as possible”, that the type of cancer he has has not been revealed and that the diagnosis is the result of his prostate surgery. “Knowing you have the support of your people will strengthen your spirit,” reads an opinion on the cover, as a second headline.

The Independent published a photo of Charles III with Queen Camilla on the day he emerged from prostate surgery. “King Charles is diagnosed with cancer”reads the newspaper’s only cover headline.

The free tube, distributed on British public transport and which claims to reach more than 5 million readers, repeats the Daily’s headline: “The King has cancer”. Carlos III appears in another photo with Camina, taken last Sunday, and is one of the media talking about the “shock” that the news caused in the royal family.

The Financial Times, one of the most prestigious business newspapers on the planet, has the main headline of its edition: “The king has been diagnosed with cancer”.

The tabloid The Sun published a first-person headline. “The King: I have cancer.” Furthermore, the tabloid speaks of a nation “in shock” at the beginning of the treatment and that the King himself reported the news to his sons William and Harry.

The Daily Star also decided to opt for the first person. “King Chas: I have cancer,” he headlines above a photo of the monarch’s coronation on May 6. “Harry comes back after the surprising news,” he says.

The sensationalist Daily Mail talks about a bombshell due to Carlos III’s cancer, but it goes further. “Carlos is very grateful that they managed to catch him early,” is the main headline of the newspaper which features three of the writers specializing in royalty with separate focuses on the king’s illness.

«Get well soon, sir. His country needs him,” writes Sarah Vine. “Will William and Harry finally be able to reconcile?” asks Richard Kay. “I’ve been waiting so long to become king. “Now this…” says the author of numerous books on the monarchy, biographer of Queen Elizabeth and Charles III, a company with more than three decades dedicated to the British royal family.

Two Scottish newspapers also reported the news which sent shockwaves through Britain. “Shock at the king’s cancer diagnosis”, headlines the Press and Journal, which accompanies the news with a photo of Charles dressed in the traditional Scottish kilt and a sporran, a kind of pouch.

The Daily Record, another Scottish print newspaper, talks about fighting the disease. “The King in a battle with cancer,” reads the cover, which talks about a shocking diagnosis and how positive Carlos feels about the treatment he has already started.