In a heartfelt message to guests at a Buckingham Palace reception for cancer charities, the King spoke about becoming a cancer “statistic” – referencing the more than 1,000 new cases recorded in the UK every day.

He said his experience of living with cancer had shown that “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion”.

The message doesn’t provide an update on the progress of the King’s own cancer treatment, but royal sources say he is continuing in a positive direction.

The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024 and continues to receive regular treatment, which is said to be successful and that he is getting better.

There was a brief hospital stay for the King in March after he suffered side effects, but he was well enough in April for a state visit to Italy with a busy schedule and is said to have plans for further overseas trips.

There has been an attempt to be more open about his health problems, and this latest message reflects his sense of a shared experience with the many other families affected by cancer.

The King’s statement continued: “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.”

He praised the “community of care” of those who helped cancer patients, for their humanity as well as their expertise.

The King highlighted “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”.

“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,” said the King.

He quoted Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer in 2022 and whose parents are guests at the reception, who said: “Have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.”

The reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday evening, attended by the King and Queen Camilla, is in honour of community projects helping people who are living with cancer and for health groups trying to prevent cancer.

Among the guests will be representatives of cancer charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now, Maggie’s and Children’s Hospice South West.

The reception includes displays showing the work of groups helping people affected by cancer, including Wigs for Heroes and Move Dance Feel, which uses dance to support women with cancer.

At the Palace there are also champions of cancer charities, people living with cancer and people who lost relatives, including radio presenter Adele Roberts, former footballer Ashley Cain and actor Richard E Grant.

“Every day we see the impact that cancer is having on people’s lives and that experience is even worse for some people because of who they are or where they live, which is entirely unacceptable. We are on a mission to transform cancer care, but we cannot do it on our own,” said Gemma Peters, chief executive officer at Macmillan Cancer Support.

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The three women, who were detained at the premier teaching hospital, heaved a sigh of relief after the Deputy National Women’s Organiser of the NDC, Maame Efua Sekyi-Aidoo Houadjeto, settled their medical bills for them to be discharged.

Sarah Acquah, Akua Danso and Anti Serwaa had undergone medical treatment for cervical and breast cancer but they were kept at the facility for five months after they failed to honour their financial obligations.

The month of October has been set aside globally to create awareness about breast cancer. In line with this, Maame Addo together with her team identified the women and moved to save them.

The team also donated toiletries and detergents worth about 10,000 ghana cedis to the medical staff and patients at the ward.

One of the three, 65-year-old Sarah Acquah in an interview with the media said she was abandoned by her family after she was diagnosed with her condition.

“My sickness has had a great toll on me since I came here. Due to the nature of my ailment, I expended all my monies. I reached out for help from my family but I was ignored, even my children have abandoned me,” she said.

She further explained that since her detainment some months ago, she’s been praying for a good Samaritan to come her way.

“I have always been praying and God has answered my prayer. I am very grateful to her (Maame Afua Sakyi Addo) and her team. I pray God restores unto her whatever she has lost and I pray she never lacks,” she said beaming with smiles.

On her part, she said the decision to defray the medical bills forms part of her contribution towards raising awareness for the impact of breast cancer across the globe.

“NDC Women Organisers always put together a program to create awareness for breast cancer. So I decided that apart from creating awareness outside of Korle-Bu let’s come inside Korle Bu and also find out who is being treated and how they are being treated.

“We realised that they were treated well but a few of them couldn’t pay their bills so we came in to support them and also donate a few things to the ward and not only to pay their bills but also to give them something to rejoice over. What we are doing here is all about charity.”

She also admonished charity organisations to support patients struggling to settle their bills.

“We should let the nurses and patients here know that we care about them. Their job is not easy, especially with the covid pandemic.

“Today we are discharging three patients here and the minimum bill is about GHS5,200 per person so I will ask Ghanaians to come and touch a heart here and also be an angel to some of the distressed patients.”