King Charles has reflected on his experience with cancer, saying it brought into “sharp focus the very best of humanity”, while acknowledging that each new case is “a daunting and at times frightening experience” for those receiving a diagnosis and for their loved ones.
In a personal written message, released to coincide with a Buckingham Palace reception celebrating organisations that help people with the disease, he described himself as one of the “statistics” among the 390,000 who “sadly” receive a cancer diagnosis in the UK each year.
He said it “can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity”. He told representatives of cancer charities: “You have my whole family’s deepest admiration.”
Charles, 76, who is still undergoing treatment more than a year after his diagnosis, said his cancer journey had given him “an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work” of the charities. He added that it had reinforced how “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion”.
He hailed the late Dame Deborah James as an inspiration, quoting her final message and encouraging everyone to follow her example: “Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.”
James died in June 2022 at the age of 40, five years after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Her Bowelbabe fund has raised more than £16m since its launch.
His message was printed in a booklet given to guests at the palace’s evening reception, including James’s parents Heather and Alistair.
A royal source said there was no update on the king’s condition or treatment, but that it continued in a “very positive direction”, reflected in his “very full” national and international diary. They described the words and subject of the message as “deeply personal” for the king.
