The King has described how being diagnosed with cancer is “daunting and at times frightening” in a new health message issued today. He said his cancer experience brought into “sharp focus the very best of humanity” and told cancer charities “you have my whole family’s deepest admiration and gratitude”. In a written message released to coincide with a Buckingham Palace reception he hosted to celebrate organisations helping people with the disease, King Charles reflected on his own diagnosis as well as sharing his gratitude to cancer charities. It comes after the monarch, 76, announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024 and was hospitalised that March after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment. He is still undergoing treatment more than a year on from his diagnosis, and has revealed his cancer journey had given him “an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work” of the charities. He described himself one of the “statistics” among the 390,000 who “sadly” receive a cancer diagnosis across the UK each year. But he said he could vouch that it “can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity”. 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’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. “Ladies and gentlemen, “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. 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. “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. “As patrons of many such organisations, the Queen and I have seen at first-hand how you not only fund vital research and deliver exceptional healthcare but also create spaces where patients and their families find sanctuary, understanding and practical assistance when they need it most. “What strikes us repeatedly is the profound impact of human connection – whether in the careful explanation from a specialist nurse, the hand held by a hospice volunteer, or the shared experience in a support group. “These moments of kinship create what I might call a ‘community of care’, one that sustains patients through the most difficult of times. “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. “Your commitment to early diagnosis, ever more successful therapies and truly holistic care represents the very best our country can offer. “This collective endeavour reminds us of what we can achieve when we are united with common purpose and uncommon determination. While every patient’s journey may be different, together you are ensuring that a cancer diagnosis need never mean facing the future without hope and support. “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: ‘Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.’ “I am so very grateful for all that you do.” Charles R