
King shares how his cancer experience brought ‘very best of humanity' into focus
He described himself as one of the 'statistics' among the 390,000 who 'sadly' receive a cancer diagnosis across the UK each year.
The King reading cards and messages sent by well-wishers in February 2024 following his diagnosis (Jonathan Brady/PA)
But he said he could vouch that it 'can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity'.
The monarch, 76, who is still undergoing treatment more than a year on from his diagnosis, revealed his cancer journey had given him 'an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work' of the charities.
Charles also told how it had reinforced how 'the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion'.
And 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.'
Dame Deborah died in June 2022 at the age of 40, five years after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and her Bowelbabe fund has raised more than £16 million since it was launched.
The King hailed Dame Deborah James as an inspiration (The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity/PA)
The King's message was printed in a booklet given out at the Palace's Wednesday evening reception to guests, including Dame Deborah'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 programme.
They described the words and subject of the message as 'deeply personal' for the King.
The King wrote: 'My wife and I are delighted to host you here this evening to celebrate and above all thank those who so selflessly give care, comfort and reassurance to the 390,000 people who, sadly, receive a new cancer diagnosis across the UK each year.
The King leaving the London Clinic in central London after treatment for an enlarged prostate in January 2024 (Lucy North/PA)
'That is over 1,000 new cases every single day.'
'Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones.
'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.
'It has certainly given me an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work undertaken by the remarkable organisations and individuals gathered here this evening, many of whom I have known, visited and supported over the years.
The King, patron of Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support, meets patient Asha Millan at the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre last year (Suzanne Plunkett/PA)
'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.'
The monarch and the Queen invited representatives from their cancer charity patronages, Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now, Maggie's and Children's Hospice South West, to the royal residence.
The King wrote how he and Camilla had seen 'first-hand' as patrons how the organisations fund vital research and offer sanctuaries to patients and their families.
He said he was struck by the 'profound impact of human connection' whether 'careful explanation from a specialist nurse, the hand held by a hospice volunteer, or the shared experience in a support group'.
The King and Queen (Aaron Chown/PA)
'These moments of kinship create what I might call a 'community of care', one that sustains patients through the most difficult of times,' Charles said.
His cancer diagnosis, undisclosed in its type, early in 2024, following a procedure on an enlarged prostate, marked the start of what his eldest son the Prince of Wales described as the most 'brutal' year with the Princess of Wales also being diagnosed with cancer.
Kate is now in remission after finishing her chemotherapy treatment last summer.
The King gave his thanks on behalf of the royal family to researchers working on breakthroughs, those offering specialist treatment, and also to campaigners.
The Prince and Princess of Wales during their royal visit to the Isle of Mull on Wednesday (Aaron Chown/PA)
'So to all the researchers pursuing pioneering breakthroughs; to the healthcare professionals providing specialist treatment; to the volunteers offering comfort, or campaigning to raise awareness; and to the fundraisers enabling all this vital work – you have my whole family's deepest admiration and gratitude,' he said.
In March this year, the King 'required a short period of observation in hospital' after experiencing side effects from his treatment.
Charles, who is known for being a workaholic, is said to have thrived on carrying out public and state duties in recent months, seeing them as being of great benefit to his overall wellbeing.
Camilla said, to mark their 20th wedding anniversary at the start of April, that the King was 'driven' by helping others and indicated his cancer journey was one of 'recovery'.
The King and Queen on Easter Sunday (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)
At the reception, Charles and Camilla were being joined by cancer charity champions including radio presenter Adele Roberts, former footballer Ashley Cain and actor Richard E Grant.
Displays at the reception showcased groups such as Move Dance Feel, which unites women affected by cancer through dance, Rainbow Boxes, which offers practical items as people start cancer treatment, and Wigs for Heroes, which supports people undergoing cancer treatment.
Gemma Peters, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: 'We are so grateful to his majesty for his continued support, both as our patron and for being so open about his own cancer experience, which has inspired so many others to reach out for support from organisations like Macmillan.
'Every day we see the impact that cancer is having on people's lives and that experience is even worse for some people because of who they are or where they live, which is entirely unacceptable. We are on a mission to transform cancer care, but we cannot do it on our own.
'It's incredible to see so many different community groups and organisations who are doing brilliant work for people living with cancer.'

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an hour ago
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Assisted dying: UK doctor says helping patients die in Australia is ‘privilege'
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She added: 'When people go, there's often this palpable sense of relief, and it can be very uplifting, because you see this person who's deeply, deeply suffering in lots of ways, and they've made this really gutsy decision that they want to exit this world on their own terms, and they do so. 'And it's in a very dignified and quick and painless manner. 'It's a very moving thing to be involved with. I consider it a tremendous privilege to be involved in it and be able to assist people to determine their fate, particularly when they're going through intolerable suffering.' Dr Boulton recently took part in an event in Parliament to support campaigners from Humanists UK and My Death My Decision working towards a change in the law in England and Wales. Intravenous practitioner administration does not form part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is due to return to the House of Commons for debate and more votes on amendments on Friday. Dr Emma Boulton (right) with her sister Sarah (Humanists UK and MDMD/PA) The Bill proposes that a terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Speaking about the challenges of her role in New South Wales, Dr Boulton acknowledged that it is 'not work that's for everybody'. She said: 'You have to be pretty resilient and comfortable in your own skin and be able to work with these things. 'For me, personally, particularly for the first few (deaths) that I was involved with, I felt very strange. It's like, 'what have I done?' You know, I've spent my whole life prolonging life, and now in my hand, you know, somebody has died as a result of my actions. 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The doctors, from across the NHS, urged lawmakers to listen to those 'who would have to deliver the consequences of this deeply flawed Bill', warning it 'poses a real threat to both patients and the medical workforce'. I think objection is based in fear and I think a proper legislative framework would actually protect people and their practitioners Dr Emma Boulton Dr Boulton said she believes much opposition to a change in the law is born from fear. 'I think objection is based in fear and I think a proper legislative framework would actually protect people and their practitioners,' she said. Many opponents of the Westminster Bill have raised concerns about people being coerced and the vulnerable being taken advantage of, but Dr Boulton said it is not a case of 'killing off granny'. She said: 'The patients I work with are incredibly calm. They're clear, they're very determined that this is a choice that they want to have. 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South Wales Argus
an hour ago
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Assisted dying: UK doctor says helping patients die in Australia is ‘privilege'
Dr Emma Boulton, from Oxfordshire, spoke of the difference between her mother's 'horrible' decline over a period of weeks with respiratory failure in England and the 'very dignified' deaths she has been involved with in New South Wales. The 59-year-old, who trained and previously worked in the UK as a GP but is now based in Sydney, said her main role is assessing patients who have applied for an assisted death, but that she has been directly involved in ending the lives of 10 people. Known as intravenous practitioner administration, this involves injecting someone with an anaesthetic. In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: 'It's quick, it's painless, it's very dignified.' She added: 'When people go, there's often this palpable sense of relief, and it can be very uplifting, because you see this person who's deeply, deeply suffering in lots of ways, and they've made this really gutsy decision that they want to exit this world on their own terms, and they do so. 'And it's in a very dignified and quick and painless manner. 'It's a very moving thing to be involved with. I consider it a tremendous privilege to be involved in it and be able to assist people to determine their fate, particularly when they're going through intolerable suffering.' Dr Boulton recently took part in an event in Parliament to support campaigners from Humanists UK and My Death My Decision working towards a change in the law in England and Wales. Intravenous practitioner administration does not form part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which is due to return to the House of Commons for debate and more votes on amendments on Friday. Dr Emma Boulton (right) with her sister Sarah (Humanists UK and MDMD/PA) The Bill proposes that a terminally ill person would take an approved substance, provided by a doctor but administered only by the person themselves. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Speaking about the challenges of her role in New South Wales, Dr Boulton acknowledged that it is 'not work that's for everybody'. She said: 'You have to be pretty resilient and comfortable in your own skin and be able to work with these things. 'For me, personally, particularly for the first few (deaths) that I was involved with, I felt very strange. It's like, 'what have I done?' You know, I've spent my whole life prolonging life, and now in my hand, you know, somebody has died as a result of my actions. 'So it's quite an odd thing to have to deal with, but the way that I get around it is by knowing, understanding that I am alleviating suffering, and I'm acting on the patient's express wishes, and that really helps me through.' The Royal College of Physicians has expressed concerns about the assisted dying Bill (Alamy/PA) The Westminster Bill states that no person, including any medical workers, are obliged to take part in assisted dying, meaning doctors would be free to opt out if the law was changed and a service set up. Dr Boulton said her mother, Margaret, had endured a 'horrible feeling of slow suffocation' in the lead up to her death aged 88 in February last year, and that it had been a 'very frustrating' experience for the family, especially as her mother had voiced support for assisted dying. She said: 'When she knew that she was on the way out, that she was dying, she got very angry and said, 'I would really like to be able to just stop this now and just go'. 'What I witnessed with my mother is not that different from the suffering that I see in my assisted dying work. But the good thing is that if they meet the eligibility criteria in our assessment then the patients that I see (in Australia) can access the assisted dying process, whereas people in the UK can't.' Medics remains divided on the subject of assisted dying, with some MPs who are also doctors among the Bill's supporters, but the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) both airing concerns. The RCP said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies' with the proposed legislation while the RCPsych said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the current Bill. Earlier this week, around 1,000 doctors signed a letter to MPs urging them to vote against a Bill they described as 'simply not safe'. The doctors, from across the NHS, urged lawmakers to listen to those 'who would have to deliver the consequences of this deeply flawed Bill', warning it 'poses a real threat to both patients and the medical workforce'. Dr Boulton said she believes much opposition to a change in the law is born from fear. 'I think objection is based in fear and I think a proper legislative framework would actually protect people and their practitioners,' she said. Many opponents of the Westminster Bill have raised concerns about people being coerced and the vulnerable being taken advantage of, but Dr Boulton said it is not a case of 'killing off granny'. She said: 'The patients I work with are incredibly calm. They're clear, they're very determined that this is a choice that they want to have. 'So, you know, people are worried about killing off granny because they want to get her money and that she's helpless and she can't make decisions for herself, and it's not like that at all. 'The process of assessment and making sure that people are fully aware and that this is an informed choice that they're making about their own life, having that really structured assessment framework actually protects people.'