ALEXANDRA SHULMAN: As King Charles’s cancer diagnosis shows, utter the ‘C’ word… and life changes in an instant

The first cancer diagnosis in a close family member is always a big shock. I remember my sister calling to tell me her news and saying, “You know how when you go to the doctor and they ask you to fill out a form asking if anyone in your family has cancer, and we always” Say no? Well, not anymore. I have breast cancer.’ And as these things very often go, about a year later it was my turn to receive the same diagnosis.

So it was undoubtedly not just a shock to King Charles’ family when they learned he had cancer; they would also have immediately entered the cancer zone.

Of course there would have been immediate concern about his long-term health, but it would have made them aware with piercing clarity that they too might be vulnerable.

Our attitude towards cancer is different from that of many other diseases. For example, when Palace officials emphasized that the Princess of Wales’s recent abdominal surgery had “no cancer,” this was probably intended as reassurance.

The word “cancer” – the C-word – is fraught with greater fear than many other diseases.

When Palace officials insisted that the Princess of Wales’s recent abdominal surgery was ‘non-cancerous’, this was probably intended as reassurance

It means that when we hear that someone has cancer, it is normal to try to rationalize why it happened to them, trying to keep the possibility of it happening to us at bay.

We believe that this could be due to some stress they were under, or because they smoked or perhaps ate too much red meat.

But when cancer strikes a member of your own family, it’s not just about whether your own lifestyle is putting you at risk. Genetic imprint plays a role.

At 75, Charles undoubtedly has one of the many cancers that any of us can suffer from over time. The fact is that most people over the age of 80 will die with some form of cancer in their body. And fortunately the problem was caught early, with Charles’ generally good health and with the best treatment, the problem should be resolved.

Either way, when cancer invades your family, your attitude toward mortality suddenly changes.

The royal family is excellent at putting up a stoic front. However, the rapid succession of the King’s cancer, the Princess of Wales’s surgery and the Duchess of York’s melanoma must occasionally cause panic about who could be next.

Let’s hope that the maxim that bad news comes in threes means that the trail stops here.

You can keep your virtual magic carpet

In 2013, Google Glass was announced as the big new thing. Even the usually stylish Diane von Furstenburg danced down her catwalk with hideous Virtual Reality (VR) specs. And then they disappeared.

No one, it seemed, was that wild about them.

Now Apple’s Vision Pro has arrived, costing around $3,500 and promising an even more transformative VR world. So far I haven’t read a word about this gadget that makes me think it would be of any use.

I have no need or desire to be whisked away from the safety of my armchair on a virtual magic carpet to other countries and experiences. The only time I tried to use Google Glass was at Burberry’s headquarters. Through the lens I found myself in what looked like an exotic carpet sales room filled with wandering Burberry fabrics.

It made me seriously nauseous, like the worst form of motion sickness. So there’s still a long way to go before any kind of VR gizmo will replace my iPhone.

Hats that don’t even make it to first base

What about baseball caps? I don’t understand why these headgear are the favorite headgear of some of the most famous and richest people, who can buy any hat they want. It is a garment that does not flatter anyone, it often looks strange and if it is intended to disguise the identity of the wearer, it does not work.

Model Kendall Jenner is pinned to her NY Yankees cap

For example, Meghan Markle, a huge cap fan, was spotted in white last week while her cap-loving husband visited his father.

Model Kendall Jenner is pinned to her NY Yankees cap, while billionaire Jeff Bezos and his inamorata Lauren Sanchez wear his and hers on their regular walks.

This headgear is not only popular in the US, the cradle of baseball. Many British people love a baseball cap. You can spot them outside the school gates – or on Hugh Grant – every day.

Blind hatred that warps our minds

Jonathan Glazer’s film The Zone Of Interest will be screened for nine Baftas. The story of Rudolf Hoss, a Nazi commander and his family who lived just over the wall from the Auschwitz death camp, shows how blind hatred – in this case of the Jews – can isolate the haters from all human feelings of empathy and drive them into allows to get on with the trivia of life. The sound of shotguns echoes off the lawn chairs and the enormous camp chimneys belch ash from burned bodies that then float above the family’s well-maintained home. The strength of the film lies in its calm portrayal of gruesome acts.

Like many others, I am shocked by the brutal activities of the Israeli government in Gaza.

And while it doesn’t mirror the Holocaust in any way, it still defies all rational argument. Glazer’s film does an excellent job of highlighting how disgust warps the mind, nullifying any nuance and can lead to unspeakable brutality. A cruelty that some contemporary descendants of the Holocaust unfortunately feel compelled to inflict on others.

Damaging the world one click at a time

With engine emissions being one of the biggest environmental and health hazards, the growth of online shopping could only make matters worse. In the past week alone I ordered cat food, a book, a dress, a toothbrush and a homeopathic remedy, each requiring a separate van spewing their toxins across leafy North West London. Yes, I could have bought the items myself, but the temptation to just tap that keyboard is irresistible, especially when faced with the rain-soaked streets of the past week.