The King has personally honoured his top medical team amid his treatment for cancer. 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 by Charles for their personal service to the monarch and the royal family . The honours come in the wake of the King and the Princess of Wales's double cancer diagnosis 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 homoeopathy can cure cancer. His position is that complementary therapies can sit alongside conventional treatments, provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based.
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