King's 'deeply personal' message for cancer patients and charities

The king reflected yesterday on his experience with having cancer, saying it had brought into "sharp focus the very best of humanity" while acknowledging that each new case of the disease will be "a daunting and at times frightening experience" for those receiving a diagnosis and for their loved ones.

- Caroline Davies

In a personal written message, released to coincide with a Buckingham Palace reception he hosted to celebrate organisations helping people with the disease, he described himself as 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". He told representatives of cancer charities: "You have my whole family's deepest admiration."