Tuesday 06 February 2024
Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, as Dame Laura Lee praises His Majesty for sharing cancer diagnosis with public and helping people with cancer understand ‘they are not alone’.
Dame Laura Lee, our Chief Executive, shares words of support after the announcement that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer.
“We are incredibly sorry to hear The King’s news, and our thoughts are with him. We also know how challenging and worrying a time a cancer diagnosis can be for the whole family, and our thoughts are very much with our president, Her Majesty The Queen.”
She continues: “The approach that The King and his family have taken by being open and transparent about the cancer is very brave and courageous, and a great step for others affected by cancer.
So he’s telling others that he’s going through this, that they are not alone. He is with them on that.
The news of The King’s diagnosis comes just days after The Queen attended the official opening of the new Maggie’s centre at the Royal Free Hospital, London on 31 January.
In an interview, Laura shared that The Queen was in ‘good and strong spirits’ during the visit to Maggie’s Royal Free.
“The Queen sat down, as she does in all of our centres, with a group of people affected by cancer, who talked about their own stories, about how they had navigated the challenges of cancer, and how important support was for them.
“We know first-hand that The King has the support of his family. The Queen is very knowledgeable about the impact of cancer and is very compassionate and empathic in terms of understanding the impact and role of support that she will undoubtedly be offering The King during this time.
“So he’s got a person alongside him, supporting him, who really understands how to be a great ally in his cancer diagnosis.”
The Queen has been president of Maggie’s for 15 years. When she first visited Maggie's Edinburgh in 2008, her warmth and generosity made a huge impact, and she was formally appointed as our president later that year.
The emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis can be as hard to deal with as the physical impact. It can affect friends, family and colleagues as well as the person with cancer.
Laura Lee continues, outlining the importance of finding support:
“One of the things we talk about at Maggie’s is that a cancer diagnosis can be really frightening. Your life can feel turned upside-down.
“But what we do know is that if you find support and have someone to talk to, someone to help you navigate some of the decisions and the way forward, then you feel more in control more hopeful, and you feel more confident about the days ahead.”
If you have been affected by this announcement, or if someone you know is worried about a cancer diagnosis, we're here with you.
The cancer support we offer is free, and no appointment or referral is needed – just come in.
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