Another Cancer Scare Hits the Royals — King Charles’ Goddaughter Shares Heartbreaking Update
The last 2 years have been difficult for the royal family, marked by overlapping health struggles, bombshell interviews, and growing public backlash. The latest bad news concerns India Hicks, King Charles' goddaughter, the daughter of one of Queen Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting and the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten. She recently shared that she had received a skin cancer diagnosis.
Hicks revealed that she has a fast-moving form of skin cancer. On her Substack handle, she disclosed that the cancer was found on her calf and that she had undergone a medical procedure. Her post has drawn widespread prayers and compassion.
The 58-year-old described how the diagnosis has reshaped what she assumed to be a calm week at home. She wrote, “I had hoped for a whole week at home. A week with no airports, no security queues, no lost chargers or boarding groups. Just stillness. But life, with its own mysterious choreography, shifted the plan.” Hicks added, “The test results from a recent skin-cancer operation came back, and the news was… not great. Not dramatic-movie-scene not great, but just unsettlingly not great. The results showed a worryingly fast-moving patch of cancer in my lower calf.” The monarch’s goddaughter also admitted to reacting with “a strange mixture of calm practicality and a little private terror.” She revealed that the procedure was “only relatively uncomfortable” and said she had been 'lucky.'
Hicks leads an ordinary life outside of royal circles. She splits her time between the Cotswolds and the Bahamas. Her woeful announcement came at a time when the monarchy is still adjusting to King Charles' health challenges. In his book Windsor Legacy, author Robert Jobson revealed that the monarch, for his part, had been reduced to tears by the public reaction to his cancer diagnosis announcement. He wrote that the King’s emotional reaction was not caused by “his plight, but by the thousands of warm letters he has received.” Jobson explained, “Charles was simply overwhelmed to learn that so many cared and wished him well.”
Kate Middleton had also received the terrifying diagnosis in March 2024. After preventive chemotherapy, she announced in January this year that she was in remission. As Middleton unexpectedly withdrew from her royal duties after the announcement, it reignited public concern. The Princess, for her part, was trying to balance recovery and royal duty. In the aftermath, the Princess spoke openly about adjusting to her 'new normal,' offering insights into her life post-treatment.
These struggles also affected the younger generation as Prince William admitted that breaking the news of his wife’s cancer diagnosis to his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was one of his greatest parenting challenges. But Hicks, Charles, and the Prince and Princess of Wales have shown how the royal family navigates difficult chapters with marked resilience and vulnerability.