The King spoke of how important it is 'to be able to talk' as a cancer patient as he visited a new specialist medical centre for patients.Charles, 77, who is still receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer he was diagnosed with in 2024, was cheered and applauded during his visit, where he met cancer patients and staff who have worked on the £2.4m redevelopment of the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre.He has been patron of Macmillan Cancer Support since 1997, the charity which provides wraparound support to those affected by cancer.Among those he met was Louise Rhodes, from Hopgrove in York, who is living with stage 4 secondary breast cancer and was involved in the centre's design and development.Meeting the King with her mother, Diana Ellison, she told the King how she had lost her father in 2024. 'To cancer?' he asked her. 'Yes,' she replied. 'It's everywhere,' he said.She spoke of how the centre had been a major support to her and her family throughout. 'It's so important to be able to talk,' the monarch told her.Arriving at the hospital, he was cheered by nurses, doctors and patients who had gathered at a side entrance, before being welcomed by Clare Smith, chief executive of York hospital, and Gemma Peters, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support.He was then shown the centre's new garden where he was greeted with a kiss by his good friend, Lady Halifax. She and her husband Lord Halifax are major donors to the hospital and new centre, which will officially open in July.The King spoke of how important it is 'to be able to talk' as a cancer patient as he visited a new specialist medical centre for patients Charles, 77, who is still receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer he was diagnosed with in 2024, met cancer patients and staff who have worked on the £2.4m redevelopment of the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre The monarch was met with the sound of cheering patients and staff as he arrived Afterwards, the King visited the centre's purpose-built garden and planted a Macmillan rose with Colm Gough, Macmillan personalised cancer care lead Earlier that day, the King met with scientists and volunteers at York's Animal and Plant Health Agency's Biotech Campus to learn about an innovative red squirrel project to help protect an endangered species. Pictured: the King unveils a plaque during his visit Lady Halifax introduced him to Angie Lunt, from Riccall in York, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, and was part of the community engagement group which developed plans for the centre: 'This is one of the most amazing women you'll meet,' she told him.Speaking to Ms Lunt, the King said: 'So they consulted you on all the details to make it all most effective? Well done you.'The King was joined in the garden by Colm Gough, the Macmillan personalised cancer care lead, to plant a yellow 'Macmillan rose' which Charles dug around with a spade to cover its roots in soil. He told Charles: 'We've been going on making silly NHS decisions and Angie's been reminding us of what's really needed.'More than 70 local people with experience of cancer fed into the new centre's designs.During his visit, the King met people living with cancer for whom the centre had been a 'lifeline' during treatment and heard about their roles in shaping the new facility, including the services it will offer and its design, from the layout and the furniture, to the colour schemes and the artwork with the aim of making it a calming, welcoming space.As he made his way through the hospital corridors, shaking hands with staff and patients and asking people how they were faring in the heat, Charles was mobbed by well-wishers wanting to take pictures and film him on their phones.Hundreds of people gathered in the main reception to see him, where he met more Macmillan nurses and the charity's fundraising staff. Charles, who was praised for his 'innate understanding that we need to be in harmony with nature', also toured the large pens where dozens of squirrels are bred and kept for the project The King was presented with a framed photograph of a red squirrel by field ecologist Erin Thomas, who said she took the picture herself at the Yorkshire Arboretum, at nearby Castle Howard Charles speaks with scientists and researchers at the conservation initiative After the visit, Ms Lunt said: 'When I was going through cancer, the centre was an absolute lifeline. It was pivotal in my recovery, helping me manage ongoing health issues and supporting my mental wellbeing. I can't stress enough how important these centres are. 'They offer a safe, welcoming, non‑clinical space, somewhere to sit, reflect, and come to terms with a diagnosis before returning home. Support services like this are essential to coping with cancer, both during treatment and long after. We need places like this now and in the future for anyone affected by cancer.'I'm proud to have used my experience to help shape something that will make such a difference to so many people going forward.'Ms Peters, Macmillan's chief executive, said: 'We were delighted to welcome our patron, His Majesty the King, to see this community led approach in action. 'His planting of a Macmillan rose in the garden felt especially fitting, a lasting symbol of hope, like the centre, that will continue to grow and bring comfort to people for many years to come. 'There isn't fair access to good cancer care across the region, and this centre is a big step towards making support more accessible and fairer for everyone.'Ms Rhodes said: 'Being involved in the redesign of the centre has been massively important to both me and my mum, as the centre has been critical in supporting both of us since my original breast cancer diagnosis in 2012. When the original cancer care centre closed due to the pandemic, I was devastated. 'My safe haven was gone overnight. When you are living with cancer, you and your loved ones need a place where you can get endless support and information, see a friendly face, have a decent cuppa and relax in comfy chairs. 'To be able to sit with other people or just sit quiet alone, all in a place which doesn't feel clinical like the rest of the hospital. 'This is what I hope for in the future of the York Macmillan cancer care centre. My cancer is incurable, I will be a cancer patient for the rest of my life, so I very much look forward to seeing this new Macmillan centre bigger than before but still with the same original heart.'York Hospital, part of the York and Scarborough teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation trust, is the base for over 60 Macmillan professionals, including over 40 cancer nurse specialists and Support Officers, to provide support to thousands of people living with cancer in the region each year.