By disclosing his cancer, Charles breaks centuries of royal tradition. But he shares only so much

LAURIE KELLMAN

In British history, the secrecy of the monarch’s health has always reigned supreme. Buckingham Palace’s disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition.

On the heels of the shock and well-wishing that followed the official statement Monday came the surprise that the palace had announced anything at all. Indeed, the unprecedented missive was sparse on details: Charles, 75, had begun treatment for a cancer it did not name after being diagnosed during a recent corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate. The king is stepping back from public duties but carrying on state business during his treatment, which he’ll receive as an outpatient, the palace said.

“The King has cancer,” the Times of London declared in a terse banner headline Tuesday. It was unlike any other in British history.

Never complain, never explain, as Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was known to