King Charles could receive alternative cancer therapies in addition to typical treatments, his former communications secretary has suggested.
Kristina Kyriacou, who advised the monarch for seven years when he was Prince of Wales, said the 75-year-old “will be very philosophical and curious” following his shock diagnosis.
“He loves his alternative medicines,” she told Good Morning Britain.
“You will have a mix: you will receive traditional treatment, but you will take the opportunity to be more enlightened.”
Last night Buckingham Palace dramatically revealed that doctors had discovered an unspecified form of cancer during treatment for a benign prostate condition. However, it is not prostate cancer.
Kristina Kyriacou, who advised the monarch for seven years when he was Prince of Wales, said the 75-year-old “will be very philosophical and curious” following his shock diagnosis.
While King Charles (pictured Sunday, when the monarch was last seen) has begun a “regular treatment program,” he has long supported alternative medicine.
No further details have been shared about his condition other than him. remains “totally positive” and hopes to return to full public duties.
Family and friends were said to be amazed by the King’s determination to continue with “business as usual”.
It is understood his condition was detected very early and the prognosis is good.
Although King Charles started a “regular treatment program” yesterday, he has long supported alternative medicine.
Typical treatment revolves around surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Cancer Research UK notes that some patients also use complementary therapies to feel better, relieve the side effects of these treatments and improve quality of life.
Aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicines, massage therapy, visualization and yoga are among the most common examples, he said.
Meanwhile, alternative therapies are typically used instead of medical treatment.
Some examples include shark cartilage supplements, laetrile (a plant substance), and Gerson therapy, which involves following an organic vegetarian diet and undergoing up to five coffee enemas a day.
There is no scientific or medical evidence that these therapies can cure cancer.
Some could even be dangerous, cause harmful side effects or interact with medical treatment, according to Cancer Research UK.
King Charles previously expressed his support for the Gerson therapy, which also involves drinking up to 13 glasses of fruit juice a day.
In 2004, he told the Royal College of Gynecology that it should be investigated for its “beneficial nature” rather than discarded.
He cited the case of an unnamed patient who had been told she would not survive her next course of chemotherapy, but who was “alive and well” seven years later, after resorting to Gerson therapy, the guardian reported at the time.
Doctors quashed his claims and the therapy was never adopted on the NHS, only available in specialist private clinics.
Professor Edzard Ernst, an internationally renowned complementary medicine expert, has earned a reputation for denouncing therapies that have no scientific basis.
In his book, “Charles, The Alternative Prince,” he warned that the only clinical trial of the Gerson therapy suggested “not a prolonged but a reduced survival time.”
The King is also an avid supporter of homeopathy, which is based on the principle of “like cures like”, so materials that are known to cause certain symptoms can also cure them.
Buckingham Palace announced that the King had begun a program of regular treatments and was postponing his public duties.
He lobbied for homeopathy and other alternative medicines through the Foundation for Integrated Health, which he founded in 1993 but closed in 2010 following allegations of fraud and money laundering.
A memo sent by King Charles in 2004 to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair urged him to address EU legislation that limited the use of herbal medicines in Britain.
While limited details of the King’s current cancer battle have been detailed, it is likely that his care will be overseen by Dr Michael Dixon, who has been head of the royal medical household since 2022 and is Known for his support of complementary therapies.
The King came under fire from academics and campaigners in December after it was revealed that Dr Dixon had taken up the role, which involves being responsible for the health of the King and the royal family.
At the time, Buckingham Palace defended Dr Dixon’s appointment, arguing that the doctor believes complementary therapies “can coexist with conventional treatments, provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based”.
The GP, who has an OBE for primary care services, has supported the provision of treatments such as aromatherapy and reflexology on the NHS.
In an article he authored, he referenced an experiment suggesting that Indian herbal remedies that had been “ultradiluted” with alcohol could cure cancer, although Buckingham Palace has strongly denied that Dr Dixon himself believes this could. function.
A statement from the Palace at the time of his appointment said: ‘Dr Dixon does not believe that homeopathy can cure cancer.
“Their position is that complementary therapies can coexist with conventional treatments, as long as they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based.”
Dr. Dixon, who has reportedly prescribed plants to patients such as devil’s claw and horny goat weed, has also written articles suggesting that Christian healers can help people with chronic illnesses.
It is hoped that the King’s healthy lifestyle will be of the best possible help to the monarch in his fight against cancer.
In addition to healthy breakfasts, including fresh fruit and plenty of flax seeds, the King has said he regularly abstains from meat, fish and dairy on certain days.
Meanwhile, a listing of facts about Charles on the Royal Family website confirms that, due to his hectic schedule, he “doesn’t eat lunch.”
His former press secretary, Julian Payne, who replaced Kyriacou, said: ‘The King doesn’t have lunch; So one of the first lessons I learned when I was on the road with him was to eat a big breakfast or bring some snack bars to keep me going.
As he was discharged from hospital last Monday, the King looked steadfast as he left the London Clinic in Marylebone with Queen Camilla by his side.
The man most likely to oversee the King’s treatment overall is Dr Michael Dixon, who has been head of the Royal Medical Household since 2022.
‘The work day is quite unforgiving. Starting with the radio news headlines and a breakfast of seasonal fruit and seed salad with tea.
In fact, his only break is around 1:00 pm, “not to eat but to go for a walk,” according to Payne. He also stays active by hiking and gardening.
He has rarely required hospital care, apart from relatively minor ailments, his recent treatment for an enlarged prostate, and accidents involving polo and skiing.
Kyriacou, who oversaw the King’s communications from 2009 to 2016, told Sky News this morning that the King has a “wonderful diet”.
She said: ‘In the morning, if you go to have breakfast with him and you lift the wrong lid on the wrong breakfast, you will find what looks like bird seeds.
“He really looks after himself. He walks, he stays active, he doesn’t eat lunch, he has afternoon tea, a very light afternoon tea.
“He will have done so many things that are already very useful to him at his age.”
Experts agree that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important both in cancer prevention and during cancer treatment.
Evidence shows that it can help manage stress and fatigue caused by illness and treatment.
Studies have also found that people who exercise during treatment not only cope better with side effects but may also live longer.
International guidelines recommend that patients stay active and return to normal activities as soon as possible.