Royal News and Views: The King will mark the 300th Anniversary of Guy's Hospital

On a Visit to the Hospital's Cancer Centre.

Monday 11th May 2026

His Majesty will meet chemotherapy patients, doctors and nurses, tour the state-of-the-art Innovation Hub, and unveil a plaque marking the 300th anniversary of Guy’s Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1.

Arriving at a laboratory in the centre’s Innovation Hub, the King, Patron of King’s College London, will be briefed on King’s College London and Guy’s cancer research projects.

His Majesty will also hear from doctors and researchers about their work using AI and robotics to treat patients. A demonstration of a robotic assisted surgical system will be given.

In the Chemotherapy Village, His Majesty will speak with patients receiving treatment under the care of the hospital. Afterwards, the King will join hospital staff and King’s College London representatives gathered in the Cancer Centre lobby to unveil a plaque to commemorate the visit and mark the hospital’s 300th anniversary.

Guy’s Hospital Cancer Centre

Opened in 2016, the 14-storey Cancer Centre marks five decades of oncology at Guy’s, consolidating services once spread across 13 sites into a single, patient-focused facility.

Clinical areas are organised into “villages” – Outpatients, Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy, and the Welcome Village – reflecting patient priorities such as clear appointment sequencing, intuitive navigation, and comfort and privacy between treatments.

A defining innovation was placing all radiotherapy rooms above ground, a decision driven by patient feedback and embedded in the original design brief. Achieving this required major engineering: the building outweighs the neighbouring Shard and sits on deep foundations that protect a Roman-era boat discovered beneath the site. The find inspired Daniel Silver’s bronze boat sculpture at the entrance, linking contemporary care with the site’s ancient history.

The King’s College London Innovation Hub brings cutting-edge cancer research and bespoke patient treatment under one roof. Scientists analyse samples from patients being treated in the Chemotherapy Village in the floor below to develop personalised treatment bespoke to each individual. Enhanced by AI, this multidisciplinary centre is training the next generation of specialists shaping the future of cancer research.