Dec. 16, 2025

Inside Thomas Markle’s Hospital Vigil as Meghan Markle’s Letter Arrives

Inside Thomas Markle’s Hospital Vigil as Meghan Markle’s Letter Arrives

A Daily Mail columnist recounts her deeply personal account of standing beside Thomas Markle during a medical crisis, as his long-awaited letter from Meghan finally arrives under extraordinary circumstances. We examine the claims, the response from Meghan’s representatives, and the growing legal and PR tension surrounding the moment.

Plus, public relations experts question the future of With Love, Meghan, debate whether the Sussexes should lean fully into Hollywood life, and weigh in on what Meghan and Harry’s appearance at a Kris Jenner party says about their post-royal identity.

We also look at fresh comparisons between Meghan and the Princess of Wales, Kate’s expanding influence in entertainment circles, and a new message from Kate highlighting a major charity effort tied to cancer awareness.

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WEBVTT

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Callaroga Shark Media. There Lo and welcome the Palace Intrigue.

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I'm your host, Mark Francis. In The Daily Meal, Caroline

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Graham writes of her relationship with Thomas Markle. Graham explains

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that their friendship began seven years ago, shortly after Megan

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Mirkle's wedding to Prince Harry, when she interviewed Thomas Mirkle

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following his heart attacks, his decision to pose for paparazzi photographs,

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and his absence from the wedding. What began as a

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professional encounter developed into a close personal friendship, one of

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only a handful she says has endured over her career.

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Earlier this month, Michael, now eighty one, was hospitalized after

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a fall and informed her by text that doctors were

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preparing to amputate his leg because of a life threatening

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blood clot. She traveled immediately to the Philippines at the

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request of his son, Thomas Michael Junior, and spent more

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than a week at his bedside as he underwent surgery

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and began physiotherapy. Throughout that time, she says, Michael was

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fixated on one thing. Hearing from his daughter, She writes

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that he kept his phone plugged in by his bed

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for days, repeatedly asking her to check in in case

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he had missed a call. She insists that she made

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clear she would leave the room immediately if Megan contacted him,

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and reiterates that she would walk away from their friendship

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if it meant father and daughter could reconcile. The journalist

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says she contacted Meghan's representatives once Michael was moved out

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of intensive care, providing his phone number, hospital name, and

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room number with his permission proclaims no call Cain. Instead,

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events became increasingly formal and legalistic. Hospital officials presented Mikel

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with documents authorizing a visit from a US embassy representative

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and waiving privacy rights. A consular official later asked him

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to name those who could receive information about him, and

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Markel listed Princes Harry and Meghan, his son, and the journalist.

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Two days later, she describes hospital executives arriving unannounced with lawyers,

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asking Markel to sign further paperwork confirming he was about

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to receive a sealed letter from his daughter. The handover,

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she says, was recorded on video to be sent to

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the Sussexes. Mikel reportedly trembled at the sight of the

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envelope and waited several hours before opening it, reading the

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letter multiple times, but choosing not to share its contents

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despite Markel asking for secrecy. The journalist says news of

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the letter's delivery was quickly released publicly by the Sussex's camp,

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accompanied by criticism of her presence in the hospital. In

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a statement to Reuter's, Meghan's representatives accused her of breaching

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clear ethical boundaries and making private contact difficult. She rejects

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that claim, saying she had Markel's explicit permission to be

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there and speak publicly, and insists the statement was to

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monster false, noting again that Meghan's team had been given

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direct contact details days earlier. She also disputes claims that

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Meghan had successfully emailed her father, saying the message was

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sent to an old email address he no longer uses.

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The account ends with the journalist acknowledging that there are

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always two sides to any family dispute, expressing hope that

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Meghan's letter could begin a reconciliation, and repeating that she

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would willingly step aside if it meant Thomas Michael could

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regain what she says he has wanted most a relationship

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with his daughter. Public relations experts are questioning the future

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of Meghan's Netflix series With Love Meghan, suggesting the Duchess

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of Sussex may need to rethink the show's direction if

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it is to continue. PR specialist Kaylee Cornelius said the

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program's feel good format may no longer be enough to

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sustain interest. She said, if the Duchess wants to be

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taken seriously in her new venture and regarded as it

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was spected figure in the field, she'll have to offer

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far more than feel good concepts we've seen so far.

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She needs to deliver originality and substance, backed by well

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loved special guests and fresh, thought provoking ideas that offer

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genuine value beyond what the average viewer can already find online.

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Another PR expert, Rea Freeman, echoed those concerns, saying the

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available figures do not point to an imminent renewal. She said,

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from looking at the numbers available in terms of the

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audience for season two, I'm not sure we'll see a

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season three soon. Megan and Harry have been urged to

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fully embrace a Hollywood lifestyle in an effort to improve

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what has been described as their flagging public image since

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stepping away from Royal Life. Public relations expert Rea Freeman

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told Express personally, I feel that they should fully lean

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into the Hollywood side of life, embrace social media for

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they rather than just as and when it's needed, and

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give people who want to like them a chance to

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get to know them better in a less edited way.

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Take inspiration from successful reality stars of Hollywood, the Kardashians

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being the prime example, and learned some lessons there. I

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appreciate that for a long time the couple have asked

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for privacy, but their actions don't echo this. I feel

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the best course of action would be to rarely lean

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into it, as it feels that more opportunities, maybe even

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better headlines could come from that in the long term.

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Grant Harold, who served as King Charles Butler from two

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thousand and seven to twenty eleven, said the couple's attendants

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at Chris Jenner's party reflected the reality of their new

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public lives. Harold said, this is a real sign that

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they've been accepted into the Hollywood showbiz world. This celebration

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was definitely the party of the year, so their attendance

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feels like a real reflection of their new post royal lives. However,

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I don't think it's surprising that Chris Jenna wanted them there,

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as having a real life prince at any do definitely

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gives it an extra buzz. Royals attending celebrity advents is

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knew and has been happening for generations. It always goes

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the other way around, and many big names have attended

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King Charles big parties over the years. In The Mirror,

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Melody Fletcher writes of the difference between Meghan's truth and

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the truth. She writes. One of these factual inaccuracies is

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believed to be Meghan's assertion that she went into her

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relationship with Harry without any understanding or context about the

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British Royal family. Shortly after their engagement was announced. However,

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a photograph showing Meghan, then fifteen, posing outside Buckingham Palace

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where a childhood friend in nineteen ninety six was unearthed.

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Nanickey Pritty, who was photographed alongside Meghan, told The Daily

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Mail she has always been fascinated by the Royal family

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and dreamed of being Princess Diana two point zero. Commenting

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on her engagement, Miss Pretty added, I'm not shocked at all.

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It's like she has been planning this all her life.

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Whether she knew about Prince Harry or not, Meghan was

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certainly aware of his older brother and sister in law.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales, a blog post from

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Duchess's now defunct website that tig revealed her feelings about

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royal princesses as she reflected on Prince William and Cather

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Friend's wedding, writing, Groman women seem to retain this childhood fantasy.

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Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal

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wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate more Palace in

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just a moment. Kate Middleton is reportedly drawing fresh attention

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for her ability to build relationships with figures in the

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entertainment world in a way that Meghan has struggled to replicate.

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According to sources, the Princess of Wales as a natural

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ease that puts Hollywood figures at ease and encourages genuine collaboration.

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One insiders suggested that this quality has helped her connect

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with industry names such as Eugene Levy, who is said

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to have felt comfortable and enthusiastic about working with her.

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The source contrasted this with Meghan's recent media projects, claiming

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that while Meghan has invited high profile names onto her

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podcast and Netflix series With Love Meghan, she often only

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lands z list stars. The comparison that follows Eugene Levy's

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recent visit to Windsor Castle, where filmed with Prince William

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for his Apple TV plus series The Reluctant Traveler. Levy

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later attended Kate's annual Christmas Carol service, where observers noted

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a warm and relaxed rapore between him and the Princess

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of Wales. Explaining why Kate appears to have an edge

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when it comes to networking, the source said, her influence

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in these spaces is subtle but unmistakable. They added, She's

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quietly making connections that have real weight in the entertainment world,

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and Meghan is painfully aware of it. With Eugene now

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effortlessly added to Kate's Christmas card list, the Princess of

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Wales is yet again demonstrating her rare combination of elegance

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and networking acumen that continues to open doors leaving Megan

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watching from afar totally frustrated. Kate shared a new video

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message on social media, thanking supporters for their contributions to

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the ever After Garden. In the post, the Princess of

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Wales expressed her appreciation for those who have helped support

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the winter art installation, raising money for the Royal Marsden

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Cancer Charity. The installation, located on King's Road in London,

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features more than thirty thousand illuminated white roses and is

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designed to honour remembrance, love and hope. Posting on Instagram,

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the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote thank you to

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all those who have contributed to the ever After Garden,

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which raises vital funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

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Every flower, every light is a memory, hold together and

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an illumination of shared love, remembrance and hope. The post

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comes shortly after King Charles confirmed that his cancer treatment

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will be scaled back in January. In recent weeks, the

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King has urged Meant to take part in prostate cancer screening.

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A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the Palace has been delighted

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by the scale and sensitivity of the worldwide media reaction.

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I know his Majesty will be greatly encouraged and deeply

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touched by the very positive reaction his message has generated.

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He will be particularly pleased at the way it has

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helped to shine a light on the benefits of cancer

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screening programs. It has long been the king view that

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if some public good can come from sheering elements of

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his personal diagnosis and treatment journey, then it would be

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his pleasure and duty to do so. His thoughts and

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warmest wishes will remain with all those affected by cancer

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and those who care for them, and they have it.

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