Queen says King 'doing well' with cancer treatment

Queen Camilla has said the King is "doing very well" with his cancer treatment during a speech at the official opening of a new £50m cancer treatment facility.

The Queen unveiled a plaque and met staff and patients at the new Dyson Cancer Centre at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

In a speech she said: “It’s got a very welcoming atmosphere, and you can see that it actually raises people’s spirits in very difficult times.”

The new centre has facilities for oncology, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a 22-bed inpatient ward, along with research labs.

The Queen was asked about the King by Suzie Moon from the charity Macmillan, which has a wellbeing hub at the new centre. She responded: “Yes, he’s doing very well.”

King Charles III is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer and postponed public-facing engagements in February, before resuming public events in April.

The Princess of Wales has been having chemotherapy after her cancer diagnosis.

Queen Camilla spoke to other cancer patients, including Paul Holdway, 55, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, who was recovering after a stem cell transplant treatment for blood cancer.

Mr Holdway told the Queen he was tired following the treatment.

Camilla replied lightheartedly, in an apparent reference to her husband's own cancer treatment, "men, won't admit it", Mrs Holdway said afterwards.

The centre, which treats patients from Wiltshire and Somerset, can welcome up to 300 people a day.

Nic Noble raised around £1m for the new centre in honour of her sister, who died from cancer, and was there for the Royal visit.

She said: "Luckily my mum was presented to her [the Queen] which for me it was a joy - she had a nice conversation with her."

She added that the Queen is "just such a lovely lady. She was down to earth, she put everyone at ease."

Ms Noble's mother, Diane Young, said she spoke to the Queen about how "terrible" the facilities the new centre has replaced were.

"We spoke about how this is a marvellous new centre, that I was so proud of Nic and her late sister. She was very approachable and obviously impressed with the new centre," she added.

During her visit, the Queen was presented with flowers by members of the public.

Government funding covered £40m of the cost of the centre, and there was a £4m donation from The James Dyson Foundation.

Sir James Dyson, founder and chief engineer, has said previously that the hospital needed a new space, describing the old cancer department as "very old" and "not -fit for purpose".

The Macmillan Cancer Support charity donated £1.5m and a further £1m was donated by the Medlock Charitable Trust.

RUHX, the official charity of the trust, also raised £5m for the centre, where charity Macmillan has also opened a wellbeing hub.

After the visit to hospital, Queen Camilla went to the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, where an egg company was opening a new HQ and facility where eggs will be packed.

Stonegate Farmers started in 1926 as a cooperative between farmers sending their eggs to market.

They are now well-known across the country for the Clarence Court brand.

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