King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer. This is an unexpected announcement: it is unusual for the royal family to release details of medical conditions to the public.
Henry VIII’s ‘soore legge’ Henry VIII’s health was well-documented and discussed in state-papers and diplomatic dispatches of the day. Knowledge about Henry’s health was not widespread. The king had sequestered himself in his private apartments. Even his attending physicians did not keep notes, perhaps concerned about being accused of treason in the volatile politics of the time. Most of our knowledge today is gleaned from diplomatic reports sent by diplomats to their own leaders.
George III and mental illness George III famously suffered from bouts of mental illness, more recently been speculated to be caused by Porphyria, a hereditary blood disorder.These were kept deliberately vague, with the aim to reassure the public rather than divulge details. His repeated bouts of illness mean his health was a constant in the media of the time, with frequent, at times twice-daily, updates during episodes.