Editorial 25 March 2024.

Many of Monday’s front pages continue ongoing coverage of the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis. Several papers look at the reaction to Princess Kate’s cancer news.

Elsewhere, the British government is set to blame China for a 2021 cyber attack, which saw 40m British voters’ details hacked – that’s on many of the front pages this Monday. 

There’s also front-page coverage of the terrorist attack in Russia that killed more than 130 people. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. Four men have been arrested and charged with carrying out the attack, they appeared in court looking like they had been beaten. 

Most of the traditional right-leaning Conservative government supporting newspapers lead on Princess Kate and the China cyber attack. Whilst the more traditional left-leaning and centre newspapers still find space on their front pages for both stories, they lead with other news. 

There’s not much unity across the left-leaning papers, with no one story taking centre stage. 

‘Princess Kate cancer diagnosis’ 

Princess Kate is, unsurprisingly, a popular lead for the right-leaning newspapers. 

The Sun features another still from Kate’s cancer announcement video and says ‘Debs would be so proud’ – a reference to Dame Deborah James, a cancer campaigner who died in 2022. 

The Daily Telegraph suggests that China, Russia and Iran have fuelled disinformation about Princess Kate in an attempt to destabilise the UK, according to government sources. The paper claims there are fears within the government that hostile nations are behind the spreading of conspiracy theories and rumours about her health. 

The Mail says the family will come back stronger following the double cancer diagnosis – Princess Kate and King Charles – both of whom are pictured on the front page. Sources tell the paper “things may look different for a while” but the institution will be no less effective.

The Express previews the King’s upcoming Easter message, which it describes as a message of “unity and hope.” The Mirror says Prince William is in awe of his wife’s strength amid her battle with cancer. 

The Times says Princess Kate was inspired to speak publicly about her cancer diagnosis after seeing the public’s reaction to King Charles’ cancer announcement. 

For the left-leaning papers, the i and the Guardian, space is found on the front page for Princess Kate but it’s limited. The i newspaper looks at the moment the royal family ‘reconnected’ with the public amid Kate’s cancer announcement and the Guardian reports a former royal adviser saying the speculation and scandal around Kate’s health was the ‘worst he’d ever seen.’ 

‘China hack attack on UK voters’

The UK is set to blame China for a 2021 cyber-attack. The hackers targeted the Electoral Commission, accessing the personal details of 40 million people in the UK. 

The Sun is amongst those to lead on the story. The paper says there are fears for the NHS because government sources have told the paper that the health service uses the same software that was accessed. 

The Times says Deputy PM Oliver Dowden will tell MPs that as a result of the findings, the UK will look at sanctioning Chinese officials implicated in human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The Daily Telegraph also leads on China, with its claims that Whitehall sources have told them Russia, China and Iran are trying to destabilise the UK with disinformation about Princess Kate. “Part of the modus operandi of hostile states is to destabilise things”, a government source is quoted as saying.

‘Russia terrorist suspects in court’ 

The Guardian’s lead features a picture of the suspects accused of killing 137 people during an attack on a concert in Moscow. The paper says Russian officials released a video yesterday showing the men being led blindfolded into the country’s investigative committee.

The Daily Mail says footage was also circulating of the suspects being tortured by what it calls their “sadistic” captors. The Telegraph says one of the videos appears to show one of the alleged attacks being hooked up to electric wires.