Alternative 'quackery', faith healing and herbal medicine: the royal physician who cares for King Charles and claims that Christian healers may be able to help the chronically ill (and is a fan of devil's claw and horny goat weed)

Following the shock news that both King Charles III and the Princess of Wales will have undergone medical procedures by the end of next week, the man responsible for the health and wellbeing of the royal family has been thrust back into the spotlight.

Dr. Michael Dixon, head of the team of doctors who will be responsible for Charles and Kate's recovery, has previously been the subject of media discussion about his support for homeopathy.

The 71-year-old GP, who has an OBE for services to primary care, has railed against those calling the practice 'quackery' and backed the provision of treatments such as aromatherapy and reflexology on the NHS.

In an article he wrote he referred to an experiment suggesting that Indian herbal medicines 'ultra-diluted' with alcohol could cure cancer, although Buckingham Palace has strongly denied that Dr Dixon himself believes this can work.

Dr. Dixon, who reportedly prescribed plants such as devil's claw and horny goat weed to patients, has also written articles suggesting that Christian healers may be able to help people who are chronically ill.

He has a kindred spirit and staunch supporter in the form of King Charles, who himself has been outspoken about the way he believes alternative medicine can help people with illnesses, and was appointed patron of the Faculty of Homeopathy in 2017.

Charles will undergo a 'corrective procedure' for an enlarged prostate next week, while Princess Catherine is 'doing well' after undergoing successful abdominal surgery yesterday.

The future queen is expected to remain in hospital at The London Clinic in Marylebone for ten to fourteen days and will face a recovery time of two to three months after the planned operation. It is understood that the procedure was not cancer related.

When he is discharged, Dr. Dixon will take charge of the team of doctors and specialists tasked with caring for the royal family.

In his role, he leads the team that cares for the King and his family, while being responsible for, among other things, attending births and deaths in the family, should they occur during his term of office.

The medic, who often wears a suit and bow tie at public appearances and continues to work part-time at a GP surgery in Devon, was given the role in late 2022.

Despite his conventional training, he has embraced an alternative view of some aspects of medicine, especially homeopathy: the idea that vastly diluted amounts of a substance can help the body overcome disease or malfunction.

The Sunday Times reported that the doctor has written papers during his career suggesting that Christian healers can help chronically ill patients, despite this being an “unfashionable” claim.

In another article, he cited the potential benefits of homeopathy, and referenced an experiment suggesting that Indian herbal medicines “ultra-diluted” with alcohol could cure cancer.

He once wrote that 'it is not true that science has proven that homeopathy is nothing but a placebo'.

It is also claimed that in the mid-2000s he prescribed an African plant known as devil's claw for shoulder pain, as well as horny goat weed to help patients suffering from impotence.

Dr. Dixon has pushed back against the suggestion that homeopathy is merely a placebo, stressing that there is no scientific data to support this, adding that there is 'data to suggest that the effects of homeopathy may be real'.

It is not a view shared by Lord Stevens of Birmingham, who as chief executive of the NHS banned the prescribing of homeopathic remedies in 2017, calling them 'at best a placebo and a misuse of scarce NHS funds'.

Dr. However, Dixon appears to be one of many medics opposing Lord Stevens' view, and has previously suggested that some homeopathic remedies should be available on the NHS.

The newspaper reported that he has backed calls from advocacy group the College of Medicine to offer treatments such as aromatherapy and reflexology to NHS patients.

In 2010 he spoke out against MPs who were campaigning to end homeopathic treatment on the NHS. He said that we should not abandon people who have not been helped by scientific medicine so far.

Despite his alternative views, Dr. Dixon is a strong supporter of King Charles, who himself has been outspoken about complementary medicine.

When he was appointed patron of the Faculty of Homeopathy in 2017, the Good Thinking Society, an organization that describes itself as “pro-science and anti-pseudoscience”, said the appointment was “obscene”.

Michael Marshall, the organisation's director, told the Guardian at the time: 'We have only recently been reminded that many homeopaths claim to be able to treat autism and discourage vaccinations.

'If [King] Charles wants to have a truly positive impact on the health of the nation he hopes to one day rule. He should side with those who provide dangerously misleading advice, rather than fighting their corner.”

The king is also embroiled in a historic dispute with Professor Edzard Ernst over his support for homeopathy – with Ernst once calling him a 'snake oil salesman'.

In 1993, King Charles established the Foundation for Integrated Health, which was established to explore the combination of 'safe, proven complementary therapies' with modern medicine.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously said: “Dr. Dixon is a practicing general practitioner; a Fellow of the Royal College of GPs; a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians; former chairman of NHS Alliance; former co-chair of the National Social Prescribing Network; former NHS England National Clinical Champion for Social Prescribing and President of the College of Medicine. He also holds an OBE for services to primary care.

'Dr. Dixon does not believe that homeopathy can cure cancer. His position is that complementary therapies can sit alongside conventional treatments, provided they are safe, appropriate and evidence-based.

'As Prince of Wales, The King's position on complementary therapies, integrated healthcare and patient choice was well documented. In his own words: 'It's also not about rejecting conventional medicine in favor of other treatments: the term 'complementary' medicine means exactly what it says.'

It is believed that both Charles and Kate will follow the more conventional routes to recovery following their respective medical procedures in the coming weeks and months.

Kate is not expected to return to public events after Easter following her abdominal surgery, and her husband Prince William will be by his wife and children's side throughout.

According to reports, she was not rushed to the hospital and her condition was not something that developed over the weekend.

It is unclear what the exact nature of the surgery is, and The Palace would not reveal details about Kate's 'medical privacy'. However, it did not rule out that she would choose to speak about it publicly in the future.

Meanwhile, Charles will go to hospital next week to be treated for an enlarged prostate.

Aides said the king's condition was benign and he would undergo a corrective procedure. His engagements will be postponed for a short period of recovery.

He is believed to be staying at his private home, Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate, where he was diagnosed today.

While the level of detail about Charles' health is unusual, royal sources said he was keen to share details of his diagnosis to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked, in line with public health advice.

Charles had a series of meetings and events planned at Dumfries House in Ayrshire tomorrow and Friday, which have now been postponed on doctor's advice.