In an unexpected gesture, King Charles III spoke in an intimate and personal way about his fight against cancer.
He did so through a message released by the Royal Household, just before receiving at Buckingham Palace representatives of community organizations dedicated to the care of patients with this disease.
What did King Charles say about cancer?
The 76-year-old monarch confessed that being part of the numbers of people diagnosed with cancer has changed his perspective.
He admitted that this experience has made him see even more clearly what he already suspected, that in the midst of darkness, human compassion can be a powerful source of light.
In his words, “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion.”
Charles took the occasion to recognize those who accompany the sick in the hardest moments.
From the researchers who search for new therapies to the volunteers who simply sit and listen. For him, the most valuable thing is human contact.
A simple gesture such as an outstretched hand or a patient explanation can make all the difference.
This is how he described it, “These moments of kinship create what I might call a ‘community of care.’”
He also wanted to send a direct message to those who have just received a diagnosis. He spoke to them without solemnity, as someone who understands well what they are going through.
He closed his letter with a quote from activist Dame Deborah James, who died in 2022 from colon cancer and whose defiant attitude in the face of the disease left its mark.
“Always, always have rebellious hope.” That phrase, the king said, represents a way of living even in the midst of illness.
Charles III was diagnosed earlier this year after surgery for an enlarged prostate.
The Palace has not disclosed the exact type of cancer, but it is known that it is not prostate-related.
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He currently continues to undergo treatment and, although he had a brief hospitalization recently, he has resumed some of his public activities.
During this difficult time, the king has chosen to be closer than ever.