Queen Camilla has opened up about the difficulty she faced during the early weeks of the King’s cancer diagnosis. In a new video, the Queen recalls a visit to a cancer charity just the week before the news became public in 2024, and reveals she found it hard to keep the information secret.
Today (Wednesday 19 August) the royal family shared a clip of Queen Camilla discussing the situation with Dame Laura Lee DBE, CEO of Maggie’s. The charity offers free care and support from centres across the UK for anyone with or affected by cancer, and the Queen has been its president since 2008.
‘I remember coming to see a Maggie’s just after the King being diagnosed,’ The Queen told Dame Laura, noting she wasn’t able to say anything about the news until it was officially announced. ‘That was quite difficult,’ she said.
Queen Camilla shared that she ‘almost said something but, you know, felt that it wasn’t the right time to say.’ Opening up about how hard it was to keep such a secret, the Queen added, ‘I was just longing to let it out but, obviously, I couldn’t.’
However, Queen Camilla explained that the experience had helped her understand even more powerfully ‘how important these places’ like Maggie’s centres were when she ‘looked at everybody who was suffering.’ The Queen said that she was, ‘almost questioning them. I didn’t want to pry too deeply but, you know, normally when I went in, I was just talking to them but I felt it was much more deep,’ now she was facing her own journey with her husband.
During the conversation, Dame Laura remembered the Queen sitting with centre visitors and praised the ‘empathy and support’ she had been able to offer them. ‘The more open you are when you’re talking about it the less scary cancer can become. So if you just keep a lid on it, it can build up,’ Dame Laura added, as Queen Camilla nodded.
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King Charles was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. The following December, during a television address as part of Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign, he revealed that he was doing well and his treatment could be reduced. ‘I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to “doctors’ orders”, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,’ the King told the nation.
You can watch the full conversation between Queen Camilla and Dame Laura Lee above or watch on YouTube. To find your nearest Maggie’s for free support, visit the website.
