The following letter was published in The Times on 7 February.
Sir, It is immensely poignant that the King’s cancer diagnosis should have been announced the day before the 72nd anniversary of the sudden death of his grandfather, George VI, who suffered from cancer. Though he had undergone a serious operation to remove most of his left lung the previous September, he was left in the dark by his doctors about his condition. Winston Churchill, then prime minister, seems to have been almost the only person who knew the truth. Circumstances today are very different. King Charles will be kept properly informed by his doctors as his treatment proceeds, with an infinitely greater chance of success.
Lord Lexden
Conservative Party historian
