King Charles honours his top doctors amid his ongoing cancer treatment as he marks his official birthday
THE King has honoured his top doctors amid his ongoing cancer treatment as he marks his official birthday today.
Dr Michael Dixon, head of the Royal Medical Household, and Charles’s GP Dr Fiona Butler – otherwise known as the Apothecary to the King – have been recognised for their personal service to the monarch.
Charles, 75, revealed in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer after it was spotted during a prostate operation.
The Princess of Wales, 42, is also undergoing treatment after receiving a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
Dr Dixon has been made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) and Dr Butler is now a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO), with the accolades announced on the King’s official birthday.
Awards of the Royal Victorian Order are in the King’s gift and are bestowed independently of Downing Street to people who have served the monarch or the royal family in a personal way.
Dr Dixon and the King have known one another for decades, and he is responsible for overseeing the eminent members of the medical profession entrusted to care for the royal family.
His appointment as head of the Royal Medical Household following Charles’s accession drew criticism due to his outspoken support for alternative therapies, such as faith healing and herbalism.
In 2023, Buckingham Palace set out the doctor’s beliefs to The Sunday Times, saying: “Dr Dixon does not believe homeopathy can cure cancer.
“His position is that complementary therapies can sit alongside conventional treatments, provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based.”
Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie, domestic chaplain to the King and minister of the Parish of Braemar and Crathie, has been made an LVO by Charles.
The Prince of Wales’s former chief aide Jean-Christophe Gray, who served as William’s private secretary, has been honoured and made an LVO.
Former Master of the Horse Baron de Mauley, who rode in the King’s coronation procession has been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO).
The Princess Royal’s dresser Veronica Cain has been awarded the Bar to the Royal Victorian Order (Silver) for her service to Anne.
Crown’s Imelda is Dame
KING Charles could find himself bestowing a Damehood on his onscreen mum after Imelda Staunton was handed the top gong in his Birthday Honours List.
The showbiz legend, 68, who played the late Queen in Netflix’s The Crown, has been made a Dame for her services to drama and to charity.
Alex Jennings, who played Edward VIII in the hit drama about the monarchy, has also been given the Royal seal of approval in the honours list with a CBE.
Imelda, celebrated for her roles including in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, said she is “really thrilled” to become a Dame, adding: “I feel genuinely humbled to be recognised on the same level as the amazing actresses, all the great Dames, who have led the way for so many of us.
“It is their talent, dedication, wit and energy that have paved the way for us all and have set the standards to which we all aspire.”
Among her peers to also receive the honour are Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Julie Andrews, Dame Vanessa Redgrave and Dame Kristin Scott Thomas.
Dame Imelda’s charity work has included being an ambassador for national homelessness charity Crisis, and she supported a winter fundraising campaign from international disaster relief charity ShelterBox.
She said: “I am also delighted that this honour recognises my support for charity as well as my work as an actress.
“I feel privileged to be able to use the success I have achieved to help others who find themselves in difficulty and to offer support to all the wonderful charities and charity workers who strive so hard on behalf of others.
“I feel that this honour also recognises the importance of the arts in this country.
“Theatre, film and television are essential to our well-being, stand at the heart of our culture and are admired throughout the world.
“I am proud to play my part in this important industry”.
Her portrayal of the late Queen in The Crown earned her a Bafta and Golden Globe nominations.
Jennings, 67, also known for playing the then Prince Charles in the 2006 film The Queen opposite Helen Mirren, has been given a CBE for services to drama.