King Charles
This is his controversial personal doctor Michael Dixon
© Chris Jackson/Getty Images
After King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, his medical director Dr. Michael Dixon once again in the spotlight – as well as the widespread criticism of his questionable treatment methods.
King Charles’ decision to appoint Dixon as medical director is ‘inappropriate’
King Charles quietly and secretly appointed Michael Dixon as medical director at the end of 2022, the Sunday Times reported in December 2023. This means that he is not the monarch’s direct doctor, but takes overall responsibility for his health and that of the royal family.
Dr. Michael Dixon
© –
Dixon’s tasks include suggesting and assessing treatment methods and arranging appointments with other doctors, reports the British daily newspaper “The Guardian”. He is even allowed to represent the royals in talks with the government.
Christian healers and goat weed against impotence
Charles’ medical director therefore has a significant influence on his recovery. And it was precisely this man who was recently criticized for his treatment methods. Various organizations, experts and scientists expressed massive concerns after Dixon’s appointment became known. They label King Charles’ decision as “inappropriate.”
The reason: General practitioner Michael Dixon, who promotes faith healing and herbalism, is an advocate of homeopathy and other questionable methods. According to the Sunday Times, Charles’ personal physician is said to have once invited a Christian healer to his practice to treat chronically ill patients. Dixon also experimented with prescribing an African shrub called devil’s claw for shoulder pain and prescribed goat weed for impotence.
Science and experts are horrified
Emeritus Professor Edzard Ernst, who once taught at the University of Exeter and whose work exposes alternative medicine, says, according to the Guardian: “Anyone who promotes homeopathy is undermining evidence-based medicine and rational thinking.” He then continues: “We and others have shown that homeopathy is not an effective therapy, which is now generally accepted.”
“Charles was an outspoken supporter of homeopathy”
Michael Marshall, project manager of the non-profit organization “Good Thinking Society”, which promotes scientific skepticism, is also appalled by King Charles’ decision and considers it “not appropriate”. Dixon’s appointment “is also worrying because it suggests that the king is still supporting complementary medicine behind the scenes,” the project leader continued.
Michael Marshall also recalls that King Charles was once a patron of homeopathic organizations and criticizes: “He was an outspoken supporter of homeopathy and pushed back the boundaries of science towards pseudoscience.”
Buckingham Palace stresses: ‘Dr Dixon does not believe homeopathy can cure cancer’
Given the current circumstances, this is a questionable and sometimes worrying development. Even before Charles’ cancer diagnosis, a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace tried to backtrack, positively highlighting Michael Dixon’s many years of work and, according to the Guardian, emphasized: “Dr. Dixon does not believe that homeopathy can cure cancer. He takes the view that complementary therapies should be used alongside conventional ones Treatments can be used provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based.”
Sources used: thetimes.co.uk, theguardian.com