The King tried his hand at operating a revolutionary surgical robot at a world-leading cancer hospital by zooming into his own face on a five pound note.

He was given a step-by-step presentation of the new fifth generation Da Vinci Surgical System, which enables smaller and more precise incisions during bladder surgery.

The robot, which is in the final stages of being approved for use by the NHS, will help to massively reduce patient operating and recovery time owing to its immense precision.

After meeting Professor Ben Challacombe, Consultant Urological Surgeon at Guy’s Hospital in London, King Charles, 77, was offered the chance to sit on a stool and look through a headset to control the robotic hands on an operating table behind him.

On display was a small model of the internal bladder, with a five pound note placed in between it.

Referencing minute text on the note, the professor said: ‘As you can see it is so precise that you can zoom in to such an extent you will see things that the human eye cannot see.

‘This model is not completely licenced in the UK, they are about to launch it in the NHS, but you can actually feel the tension in your own fingers.’

Placing his fingers into the controls, the King struggled at first to get to grips with the mechanism saying ‘I think I’ll have to come back after some more training.’

The Da Vinci series of machines have been used on 15,000 patients in the hospital in the last 20 years and two million people worldwide.

At Chemotherapy Village, the King met patients who are being treated at the Cancer Centre and who could benefit from discoveries by scientists based at the Innovation Hub.

Raymond Burgess, 69, from south London, told the King how his chemotherapy treatment had left him unable to taste certain foods.

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At Chemotherapy Village, the King met patients who are being treated at the Cancer Centre and who could benefit from discoveries by scientists based at the Innovation Hub

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The King tried his hand at operating a revolutionary surgical robot at a world-leading cancer hospital by zooming into his own face on a five pound note

He said: ‘All the staff have been fantastic, all so welcoming and lovely. It’s very comfortable here. Just can’t taste anything, apart from lemons and limes mostly.’

The King, who has commented on the same experience himself previously, replied: ‘Doesn’t help with eating!’

One patient, who did not want to be named, told Charles how she had brought her laptop into the centre to carry on working while wearing a cold cap for her breast cancer chemotherapy treatment.

The monarch said: ‘That’s extraordinary. Very brave. I wish you all the best.’

The visit formed part of the 300th anniversary of Guy’s Hospital, taking place at Guy’s Cancer Centre.

Scientists from across disciplines at King’s – from data scientists to geneticists – work within the Innovation Hub to embed cutting-edge cancer research and access to clinical trials directly into patient care.

They are also using advanced data science and AI to analyse large datasets – helping discover trends, improve accuracy of diagnoses and detect new targets for drugs.

Charles was taken to three positions in the lab where scientists and students at the hospital are using AI to chart results. One doctor showed the King a set of results on a screen that AI program Pharos organised results in under an hour rather than taking a whole day.

He was given a step-by-step presentation of the new fifth generation Da Vinci Surgical System, which enables smaller and more precise incisions during bladder surgery

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View gallery

The Da Vinci series of machines have been used on 15,000 patients in the hospital in the last 20 years and two million people worldwide

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View gallery

Charles was taken to three positions in the lab where scientists and students at the hospital are using AI to chart results. One doctor showed the King a set of results on a screen that AI program Pharos organised results in under an hour rather than taking a whole day

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The monarch, who is Royal Patron of King’s College London, met with senior leadership from the hospital

The monarch, who is Royal Patron of King’s College London, met with senior leadership from the hospital, leading academics and PhD students pushing the boundaries of cancer research – from diagnosis to treatment.

The King was shown around the Innovation Hub by Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s and Professor Sheila Singh, Head of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Joint Head of the School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor & President of King’s, said: ‘It was an honour to welcome King Charles to the Innovation Hub. We were privileged to highlight the incredible research from scientists within the Innovation Hub, from across disciplines, all dedicated to tackling cancer and improving the lives of patients.

‘The Innovation Hub is a true example of the impact that can be fostered through collaboration, from data scientists analysing trends in cancer diagnoses, to geneticists developing precise drugs to tailor individualised therapies – alongside the wider, historic collaboration between King’s and Guy’s Hospital, forged over hundreds of years. To demonstrate this with His Majesty, a patron of our university, was a very proud moment.’

Within the Hub, Professor Sheeba Irshad, explained how she is developing a new type of immunotherapy treatment for breast cancers resistant to traditional chemo and radiotherapy. Accompanied by PhD research students Esme Carpenter and Helen Kakkassery, Charles was shown microscopic images of immune cells within tumours, which are targeted by immunotherapy treatment.

Showcasing this technology, Professor Anita Grigoriadis explained how she is using AI to guide drug discovery.

Professor Grigoriadis, who is founder of Pharos AI, software which is transforming cancer care by unlocking decades of NHS cancer data, also discussed the impact the Innovation Hub is having on industry and the wider economy.

On leaving the hospital, Charles greeted a crowd of more than 150 patients and staff in the lobby of the cancer centre.

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The visit was commemorated by a plaque being unveiled by the King in the Cancer Centre’s entrance lobby

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On leaving the hospital, Charles greeted a crowd of more than 150 patients and staff in the lobby of the cancer centre

He shook hands with patients and wished them luck with their treatment.

Professor Sheila Singh, Professor of Neuro-oncology and Neurosurgery, said: ‘It was an immense privilege to welcome His Majesty to our Innovation Hub, where dedicated colleagues committed to tackling cancer discussed their invaluable work. Innovation really is the key word; King’s is leading the way in rethinking how we treat cancers, putting patients at the centre of everything we do.

‘We’re making live cell avatars of patient cancers and enabling bespoke therapy development for each patient with a difficult-to-treat cancer – and working in collaboration with clinicians at Guy’s helps embed ground-breaking research into patients’ journeys. Being directly above the Chemotherapy Village breaks down barriers between medical professionals, enabling us to analyse patient samples in real-time.

‘Our work at the Innovation Hub is also enhanced by our strong partnerships with key funders, and it was a pleasure to also welcome the CEO of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Michelle Mitchell, which funds research within the Hub, on the tour.’

The visit was commemorated by a plaque being unveiled by the King in the Cancer Centre’s entrance lobby.