After a professional life spent observing the British royal family, first as a professional photographer and now as a historian, I have a pretty good understanding of how media coverage works, how relentless it is, and so on.
Or so I thought – until the health problems of King Charles and, more particularly, Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The global attention is on a scale I have never seen before, except perhaps for the media coverage devoted to Diana amid the dramatic collapse of her marriage to Charles.
Following Kate’s moving video message, in which she revealed her cancer diagnosis, I looked at the media coverage in foreign newspapers – and the results surprised even me.
A still from Catherine’s powerful video speech, in which she told the world about her cancer diagnosis
King Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer. Here he is pictured with Queen Camilla at Sandringham last month
It was not the first time that the Princess of Wales had been seen alone on a bench. Here, Diana poses in front of the Taj Mahal during a visit to India in 1992, as her marriage was crumbling
The video made headlines in Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Uruguay.
It also appeared further north in Mexico, Costa Rico and Honduras.
In the Middle East, it has been reported in Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and in the Far East, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.
And that’s not to mention the headlines it made in Commonwealth countries, as you might expect, and in most of Western Europe, including France, GermanySpain, Belgium and Switzerland.
For what? Without a doubt, the drama of the video announcement, a thunderclap, made the difference.
There has also been a determination on the part of the royal family to appear “responsible”, more open, less stuffy.
Even so, the scale of interest in Catherine must surely have exceeded what even their advisors could have expected.
These are uncharted territories – and no wonder Wales are worried.
Previous generations of royals have of course gone to great lengths to protect their privacy.
The true extent of George VI’s battle with cancer was hidden, not only from the public, but also from his family and even the king himself.
Elizabeth II’s unusual good health for most of her life made such revelations unnecessary in her case. For many decades, the Windsors were lucky.
Traditionally, it is births, marriages, royal deaths and jubilees or coronation ceremonies that receive such global coverage.
Kate’s health battle has somewhat replaced these traditional stories, allowing us to connect with the royal family on a personal level.
The princess was right to speak from her heart, in my opinion. It would be interesting to know how and by whom she was advised.
But I feel like she had no choice, and not just because the broadcast was a good opportunity to put an end to the absurd conspiracy theories. But because the world has changed – and continues to change.
Public expectations are different.
Both Charles and William will be very aware of the dangers of not speaking out.
The monarchy is still haunted by its mishandling of the public reaction to the death of Diana, who died in 1997.
The late queen fell back on protocol and tradition, failing to meet the people’s expectations.
There is now a demand for “authenticity”, for the expression of emotion, which has only increased since then, thanks in large part to the power of social media.
The princess’s moving broadcast perfectly met these expectations.
If a cancer diagnosis is distressing for any family, it was even more of a shock in the case of a relatively young woman, just 42 years old, with what always seemed a strong constitution.
Looking pale and tired, her video was a study in vulnerability – of a type that millions of people around the world can empathize with.
Catherine’s cancer diagnosis makes headlines in Portugal
King Charles has also been the subject of significant foreign media coverage, notably here in the Spanish daily ABC.
Commonwealth countries have shown the interest that might be expected. Here, the Australian Sunday Times features the video on its front page.
There is another Diana connection, undoubtedly a coincidence, in the way Kate was photographed sitting alone on a bench.
It reminded me of that famous image of Diana in front of the Taj Mahal during Wales’ ill-fated visit to India in 1992, as their marriage was falling apart.
Two princesses alone in the middle of very personal crises.
King Charles also harnesses the power of empathy.
His unexpected walk to Windsor on Easter Sunday made a positive visual statement, especially as he was among his subjects rather than in a more formal setting.
This was also published in newspapers around the world, with coverage in Spain, Peru, Argentina, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates, as well as most Commonwealth countries.
There is an enduring fascination with royalty, as seen on the cover of King and Princess.
This Croatian front page used an image of the princess tired and drawn.
It is also a family story, another important point of connection with the nation and beyond.
But by deciding to share some details of their health problems, the king and his daughter-in-law are showing a more human side of the monarchy, in tune with the emotionally expressive times in which we live.
But if, as I believe, they have little choice, what kind of monster has been unleashed – and how much more will he wait?
These are difficult questions for Welsh people and their advisers in the weeks and months to come.
Ian Lloyd @IanLloydRoyal
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