Losing More Than Just a Monarch

Today has been a strange day. A day as a nation in the UK we will never forget. A day when we lost so much more than a figurehead or head of our nation. We lost our Queen. Well, not just "our Queen." We lost the world's Queen. She meant so much to so many. She led the United Kingdom and beyond through some of the most difficult periods in the last 70 plus years.

She is the only monarch that anyone under 70 has known. What a remarkable life she led.

We lost our constant, our guide. We lost the person we looked up to. A person who looked out for her people. The person who wanted the best for her people. She dedicated her whole life to serving her public, her people.

A life dedicated to public service

She famously said back in 1947, on her 21st birthday, "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

She had a close relationship with and interest in the work of many UK charities. She was a patron of many.

In June 2022, as the Queen reached the monumental milestone of her platinum jubilee, the CEO of Charity Aid Foundation, Neil Heslop OBE, spoke again of her philanthropy over 75 years, "During her 70 years of remarkable service, many organizations have benefited hugely from the support of The Queen and her passion for charity. The Royal Family have made raising awareness of the work of charities an integral part of their public duties, and we are incredibly grateful for the attention they bring to organizations of all shapes and sizes carrying out vital work in the UK and around the world."¹

Always looking out for our best interest

On a cancer journey, we also need our own king or queen. We need that constant in our life to help us navigate the journey that lies ahead. We need that person that will sit above the parapet and always look out for our best interests. Our king or queen may be a husband or wife, brother or sister, mother or father, aunt or uncle, a grown-up son or daughter, or a close friend.

That king or queen may, in fact, be us. We may be the ones sitting up and ensuring our best interests are held high. What we need for our care is sitting there at the top of the pile of medical records. Sitting up on top like the crown on a monarch's head.

Whether we are our own king or queen or have a king or queen looking after us, what's key is to remember our needs come first.

Of course, we need to listen to our medical teams. After all, these are the people who went to school and spent years training to be experts in their fields. They are best placed to provide the medical detail behind any recommended treatment.

What is important to YOU?

What is also important, though, is we know what is important to us, and our voice is heard. Often a cancer diagnosis leaves our head in such a spin. Especially in the initial days and weeks, we are often in shock. We don't believe any semblance of normality will ever return.

During my whole journey, my kings and queens - especially my lead king, my husband, provided me with the same hope. The hope better days would return.

Long live the king!