A cancer diagnosis and an uncertain path forward
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When Buckingham Palace announced last month that King Charles III had been admitted to a London hospital for a prostate procedure, Mark Landler, the London bureau chief of The New York Times, was surprised by the palace's transparency.
Mr Landler has covered the British Royal Family since 2019. The family is typically reluctant when it comes to disclosing private information to the public, he explained in a recent conversation.
“It was interesting that, at King Charles's insistence, the Palace made a conscious decision to share a little more information about his medical condition and treatment than it had with Queen Elizabeth throughout her life,” Mr. Landler said. “It is a milestone in the royal family's communications that they have said so much publicly.”
Mr. Landler's surprise only deepened after the palace announced this month that the king had been diagnosed with cancer, although it did not disclose what type of cancer it was.
Although several journalists at The Times write about aspects of the royal family, Mr. Landler keeps a close eye on them. In an interview, he discussed his experiences with the British monarchy and what questions he hoped to answer in the future. This interview has been edited and condensed.
Why do you think Buckingham Palace has been transparent about Charles' health?
Charles has a lot to do with it. In the various announcements made about his prostate treatment and cancer diagnosis, the palace said the king wanted to encourage men of his age to have a prostate check. He also wanted to put an end to wild speculation about his condition. There is no doubt that when a prominent figure like Charles talks openly about his health condition and medical treatment, it can have a positive impact.
What are the immediate implications of his diagnosis?
Although the king and the palace were more open than historically, this was not the case complete Open. They wouldn't say what type of cancer he has or how advanced it was. There was no discussion about the prognosis. They warned that there will be no ongoing update on his condition. What they've done is left us in a kind of middle ground: we know the king is dealing with a potentially life-threatening illness, but we don't know it. How is life-threatening. It has caused quite a bit of unrest.
What questions do you want to answer in your reporting in the future?
A big question is how serious this cancer is. If the king becomes incapacitated at some point, certain things are set in motion. There is an institution called the State Advisors, which consists of other senior members of the royal family who can perform a number of duties on behalf of the king if he is unable to do so. But there are certain things that constitutionally only a sitting monarch can do, so not every loophole will be closed.
For example, only a sitting monarch can agree to a request from the prime minister to dissolve parliament or invite the leader of the political party that has just won a majority in an election to form a new government. There will be a general election in Britain sometime next year, meaning the king will be called to do so regardless of his health.
The general signals from the palace are that Charles' cancer is manageable, that he is receiving appropriate treatment and that he will be able to carry out these tasks. But none of this can be taken for granted. If he is truly incapacitated, that will raise some substantial constitutional questions.
What was the reaction in Britain?
The country is largely in a wait-and-see attitude. When Elizabeth died, she had been queen for seventy years. Most people in Britain had never known another monarch. So it was a huge historical and emotional event, especially for the elderly. It almost felt like a death in the British family.
Charles has been king for less than eighteen months. People watched him grow up; they saw his failed first marriage to Princess Diana. They have seen him grow into a more dignified figure. Although he is not as loved as his mother, it is fair to say that people are 'getting used to him' on the throne.
Yet we don't know how this story will end. Many 75-year-old men who undergo cancer treatment do just fine and live for many years.
What is the biggest challenge in your role as head of the London office?
One challenge, which has been particularly evident in recent weeks, is how to strike a balance between serious, incisive reporting on British politics and society, and reporting on the Royal Family, which is of endless interest to many of our readers, but often the appearance of little more than a soap opera.