06 February 2024 , 16:26
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A former member of staff for King Charles has shared details of the monarch's treatment plan following his cancer diagnosis.
It was announced by Buckingham Palace on 5 February that King Charles had begun receiving "regular treatment". Whilst the palace did not disclose the details of what kind of cancer Charles has been diagnosed with, nor what his treatment will entail, the former staff member believes that it is likely the King will "blend" the therapies given to him by his doctors with alternative therapies, something he has long held and an interest in.
Kristina Kyriacou - who previously worked as a communications secretary for Charles - explained on Good Morning Britain that the King "loves his alternative medicines" he will likely "have a blend — he will be receiving traditional treatment but he will use the opportunity to use this to be more enlightened."
She added that she believed the monarch "will be very philosophical and be curious" in light of his diagnosis.
Charles has long believed in the power of alternative medicine and this interest has not been without controversy. In 2005 wrote to Tony Blair lobbying the then-Prime Minister to delay implementing EU restrictions on the sale of herbal medicines, to which Blair agreed.
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In 2015 when what became known as Charles's 'Black Spider memos' were released, it was revealed that the royal had also lobbied government ministers on other aspects of alternative medicine - amongst other causes he is passionate about - including "a pilot of alternative medicines in the NHS in England," - per The Guardian.
In December 2023, the Sunday Times reported that Charles had appointed Sir Michael Dixon as the head of the royal medical household the previous year. The choice of the 71-year-old GP was a controversial one because Dixon is "one of the nation's most outspoken advocates of alternative medicine, including homeopathy."
Campaigners criticised the appointment, The Guardian reported, with one expert saying, "Anyone who promotes homeopathy is undermining evidence-based medicine and rational thinking. The former weakens the NHS, the latter will cause harm to society."
The palace has defended Dixon's role and said he believes that "complementary" therapies should be used "alongside conventional treatments, provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based."
The NHS notes on its website that there is a difference between alternative medicine and complementary therapy, but that the availability of both "on the NHS is limited, and in most cases the NHS will not offer such treatments."
An alternative medicine is technically defined as something one would have instead of traditional treatment, but complementary therapies can go alongside what your doctor prescribes.
Cancer Research says that complementary therapies when used alongside conventional treatment "can help people with cancer to feel better and may improve your quality of life. They may also help you to cope better with symptoms caused by the cancer. Or side effects caused by cancer treatment."
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