Double Cancer Blow Leaves British Royal Family Depleted And Strained

These are not the best of times for the British Royal family with the disclosure by Kate, Princess of Wales that she has been diagnosed with cancer.

Though she did not reveal the specific cancer for which she presently manifests signs and symptoms, however, based on revealed diagnosis, Kate would be the second member of the British Monarchy to succumb to cancer, after the earlier disclosure by King Charles III.

As they seek cures or a rebate to their undisclosed form of cancers, with the King opting for alternative herbal care while Kate goes for chemotherapy, this has led to reduced public appearances. With this development, the ranks of working royals have been depleted, leaving the monarchy’s future suddenly fragile.

While family differences seem to have been presently put aside with public goodwill messages coming in from California from both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, his wife, to Kate for health, Prince William has had to take time off to help care for Kate and their children over the Easter school break period to allow the children process the information at hand.

An Associated Press, AP, shared report of March 23, 2024, worried about the depleting ranks of British working royals.

“This is a smaller and frailer royal family than Britain is used to,” veteran journalist Andrew Marr wrote in the New Statesman magazine. “It scarcely seems believable that only a decade ago, people were complaining about there being far too many members of it.”

Though seeking family privacy, the announcement by Kate came after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts and health since she was hospitalized in January for unspecified abdominal surgery where, "tests after the operation found cancer had been present."

“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 United Kingdom, 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.