The recent appointment of Dr. Michael Dixon as head of the Royal Medical Household by King Charles III has sparked controversy in the United Kingdom.
Dixon, 71, is a fervent advocate of homeopathy and alternative medicine, so his appointment to such an important post is generating strong criticism among the country’s medical and academic community.
In addition, Michael Dixon and King Charles have shared a close friendship of several years.
Michael Dixon and King Charles in defense of homeopathy
It is no secret that Charles III is an advocate of alternative medicines, which is why he looks favorably on Dixon for his medical team.
Traditionally, the post of chief medical officer of the Royal Household had been held by eminent specialists in conventional medicine, such as the former president of the Royal College of Physicians.
Therefore, Charles III’s decision is seen as a break with the custom established by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite the fact that Dr. Dixon has a wealth of experience that includes practice with the NHS for more than half a century.
British experts call the appointment “worrying and inappropriate.”
Michael Marshall, of The Good Thinking Society, told The Guardian that he was concerned that the King supports complementary medicine.
Other specialists consulted were equally critical, saying that this responsibility should fall on “people who represent real experts in health”.
Dixon is not only a great supporter of homeopathy, but in the past, he has even brought a Christian healer to his practice to treat patients with chronic ailments.
He has also prescribed bizarre remedies such as an African shrub or horny goat weed.
Now, as the Crown’s chief medical officer, Dixon will have the task of overseeing the health of King Charles III and the rest of the Royal Family.
A decision that for many breaks the promise of the current monarch to leave behind his defense of alternative medicine when he assumed the British throne after the death of Elizabeth II.
Buckingham Palace has come out in defense of Dixon’s appointment, assuring that his positions on complementary medicine “can coexist with conventional treatments”.
However, what is certain is that this controversy puts back on the table the historical support of King Charles for “pseudoscientific” therapies far removed from evidence-based medicine.