King Charles opens up about ‘frightening' experience of cancer diagnosis
King Charles has told cancer sufferers at a Buckingham Palace reception to 'always, always have rebellious hope''.
The King, 76, who has been receiving treatment for cancer since February 2024, repeated the words of British cancer sufferer Dame Deborah James, 40, who died several years ago after a tireless campaign raising awareness of bowel cancer.
While not giving any more information about his own personal battles, or any details about the type of cancer he is being treated for, the King said he could only echo the departing words of Ms James who said: 'Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.'
Charles held the palace reception for those working in community-based cancer support. He said receiving a cancer diagnosis could be 'daunting and at times a frightening experience'. He added: 'But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.'
King Charles speaks with actor Richard E Grant and broadcaster Adele Roberts during a reception in celebration of community-based initiatives raising awareness about cancer at Buckingham Palace. Picture: Andrew Matthews /Getty Images
Charles then said in a personal note: 'And to those who may be receiving such upsetting news today, tomorrow or at any point in the future, I can only echo the departing words of the late Dame Deborah James, whose parents I am delighted to have with us here this evening, and whose example stands as an inspiration to us all, in sickness and in health.'
Both the King and his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer within weeks of each other in early 2024. Catherine announced late last year that she had completed a gruelling program of chemotherapy and was in remission.
Charles's cancer was discovered after he had undergone surgery for an unrelated prostate issue. He has continued to receive weekly treatment in and around his public duties, including a short trip to Australia and the Pacific, and a most recent trip to Rome and the Vatican City where he and Queen Camilla met Pope Francis.
Queen Camilla and King Charles speak with presenter Lorraine Kelly and the members of the Change + Check Choir at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. Picture: Andrew Matthews /AFP
The Queen has often remarked that she has difficulty getting her husband to slow down. At the end of March he suffered some side effects of the treatment and had to cancel several days of engagements.
Charles will front next week's 80th anniversary of VE Day including a reception for veterans and Victoria and George Cross recipients at Windsor Castle, a service at Westminster Abbey and a concert.
The King said that 390,000 people receive a new cancer diagnosis in the United Kingdom each year and he thanked 'all those who so selflessly give care, comfort and reassurance.' He added his own experience had certainly given him an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work undertaken by the remarkable organisations and individuals who had gathered at the palace for the reception.
He added: 'And it has reinforced what I have long observed during these visits – that the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion.''
Read related topics: Royal Family
Jacquelin Magnay
Europe Correspondent
Jacquelin Magnay is the Europe Correspondent for The Australian, based in London and covering all manner of big stories across political, business, Royals and security issues. She is a George Munster and Walkley Award winning journalist with senior media roles in Australian and British newspapers. Before joining The Australian in 2013 she was the UK Telegraph's Olympics Editor.
@jacquelinmagnay
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


SBS Australia
20 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
A man has become known for asking people to sit on him in public. Who is 'fake seizure guy'?
Noah thought he was doing the right thing when he saw a man collapse and seize at a park in Melbourne and — driven by instinct — ran over to help. "I don't know if it was a hero complex," Noah told The Feed. "But I was like: 'I'm going to help this man.'" When Noah arrived, he said the man insisted Noah sit on him. "He said: 'I need you to lay on top of me and hold me down.'" Noah now believes the man he ended up sitting on for the next 15 minutes is the same person referred to as "fake seizure guy" online. Many people have claimed the man has been faking seizures for as long as 10 years in Melbourne. There's a Reddit forum dedicated to reported sightings of the man and alleged encounters with "fake seizure guy". Several social media users says the man demanded they sit on his back and restrain him during his apparent fits, and he would insist they not call emergency services. "There were times when I was pinning him down that he was getting upset because I wasn't holding down his arms hard enough," Noah said. "I was thinking, he's being very picky for somebody who is taking time out of their day to lay on top of a man in a park in daylight." Lisa Todd from Epilepsy Action Australia said "there's never an instance where you would sit on someone" during a seizure. While it's unclear what "fake seizure guy's" motives are, many people with lived experience of seizures claim the man's behaviour is inconsistent with how someone experiencing a seizure would act. Todd criticised the brief trend on TikTok where people have faked seizures, which she said fuels cynicism about the severity of seizures. "It's mocking and it undermines the credibility of people who are living with epilepsy. How would you feel if someone was making fun of a health condition that you had?" Todd said faking seizures is "deeply disrespectful" for those who experience seizures. "Spreading misinformation fuels stigma [and] trivialises the lived experience of individuals with epilepsy and can re-traumatise those who have suffered injury or discrimination due to their condition," Todd told The Feed. "If they are in fact faking seizures, there must be some underlying reason why they're doing it," Todd said. However, she said there are legitimate explanations for why someone could be having a seizure, even if they don't have a diagnosed condition, like epilepsy. "There are things called provoked seizures … It looks like a seizure except that there's no electrical disturbance." Other episodes can be caused by psychological stress and in certain cases, the person could remain conscious during a seizure. A seizure happens when there's a sudden surge of uncontrolled electrical signals in the brain, which can lead to stiffness, twitching, or behavioural changes. Another Melburnian, Drew (not his real name), told The Feed he had a similar experience with "fake seizure guy". He was going for his usual walk in Port Melbourne, when a man fell to his knees and asked to be sat on. "He was shouting commands like: 'sit on me properly', 'put your weight into me', that sort of thing," Drew said. Drew said he heard about "fake seizure guy" after the incident and now he no longer walks his usual route. "I wouldn't want to be back in that situation again … it's just put a bad taste in my mouth." Drew claims he's since lost trust in people and will now think twice if he comes across someone seemingly experiencing a medical episode in public. "I'm less inclined to help someone if they just fell down in the street now," he said. The Feed understands the man believed to be "fake seizure guy" is facing charges for public nuisance and will face court later this year. The National Epilepsy Line, 1300 374537, operated by Epilepsy Action Australia, is a free, Australia-wide telephone, email, and telehealth service staffed by specialist epilepsy nurses.

ABC News
17 hours ago
- ABC News
Health Minister has 'some concerns' over Mildura Base Public Hospital
Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas has told a parliamentary inquiry she has "had some concerns" about Mildura Base Public Hospital (MBPH). MBPH has consistently had among the highest emergency department (ED) backlogs in the state, according to recent length of stay data from the Victorian Agency for Health Information. A total of 266 patients, or 3.28 per cent of all patients at MBPH, waited for more than 24 hours for treatment at the emergency department from January to March this year. MBPH had the worst percentage of lengthy emergency department stays in Victorian public hospitals in February and March. Its recent quarterly length of stay trend is more than eight times the statewide average. Ms Thomas told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday why she had extended the tenure of the government-appointed delegate to the MBPH board, Therese Tierney, in February. Ms Thomas said the government planned to open four new sub-acute beds this week to "help improve patient flow through the emergency department". A hospital spokesperson said the four beds would be moved from MBPH's maternity ward to meet demand at the emergency department. MBPH board chair Frank Piscioneri said the hospital needed more support from the state government to improve wait times. "There is a demand for the hospital services, ED and also in the wards [that] has increased dramatically over the last few years," Mr Piscioneri said. "We're at capacity from a staffing point of view … and it's got to the stage now where the answer to all of this is an increase in the infrastructure — being increased beds in the ED and obviously in the wards. "The board has met repeatedly with ministers and government representatives, yet there has been no meaningful progress. "Our capacity challenges are becoming more urgent by the day." Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne told the inquiry on Friday her department had not been commissioned to upgrade the MBPH emergency department. She said she had no access to the hospital's services plan or a master plan commissioned for the hospital by the state government in 2021. Member for Mildura Jade Benham called on the government to release the master plan, and invest in 30 additional hospital beds. The ABC revealed in May a concept drawing of a new Mildura Base Public Hospital had been published online by architecture firm HSPC Health Architects. But the full master plan document has not been publicly released. Health department secretary Jenny Atta told the inquiry on Friday the government had not set a date for the release of the master plan. "The department would release a master plan once there was an investment decision, and the most up-to-date information could be taken into account and released with that plan." If you're unable to load the form, click here.

ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Push for national reform of fertility sector
Another major IVF bungle has reignited calls for national reform of the sector. Monash IVF says there was an incident at a Melbourne lab last week, which saw a patient's own embryo being incorrectly transferred to them, instead of their partner's embryo. Health ministers from across the country will now discuss the issue of regulation at a meeting on Friday.