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For the first time in two years, Queen Camilla has publicly discussed King Charles's cancer diagnosis and the emotional toll of keeping the monarch's health update a secret in the early stages.
Queen Camilla says keeping King Charles' cancer diagnosis was 'difficult'
In a video to mark the 30th anniversary of Maggie's cancer charity, the Queen, who is president of the charity, recalled how "difficult" it was to avoid discussing her husband's treatment while on an official engagement with cancer patients and their families.
In January 2024, Camilla attended a public engagement at the support centre and went on to carry her duties with full knowledge of Charles' condition and had to hold back from telling anyone, as the official announcement had not been made public.
"Nobody could say anything at the time, that was quite difficult," Camilla told the chief executive of Maggie's, Dame Laura Lee.
"It was just a week before it became public and the courage that must have taken for you," Dame Laura told the Queen, referring to how personally challenging the hospital visit must have been.
"I was just longing to let it out, but obviously I couldn't," the Queen added.
When was King Charles' cancer diagnosis revealed?
The King's cancer diagnosis was revealed on February 5, 2024, just days after the Queen's engagement at the Royal Free Hospital.
According to Buckingham Palace, Charles is still receiving treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer and that his health has been continuing to move in a "positive direction".
How King Charles cope with his cancer battle?
In the seven-minute film recorded at Clarence House, the Queen said that the King's way of coping has always been to push on with official duties. She spoke of helping to look after her "poor husband".
"Nothing stopped him. He just said, 'This is my way. I'm going to cope with it,'" she said.
Camilla also shared that during the hospital visit, she was "almost questioning" the families she met, as she was secretly in the same position
"I looked at everybody who was suffering and all the relations and I think it made me realise even more how important these places were."
King Charles' cancer diagnosis shed light on men's struggles
Maggie's revealed that the King's public announcement prompted a 12 per cent increase in men contacting them with a cancer diagnosis.
Serving as president of Maggie's, Camilla officially launched the charity's new centre at London's Royal Free Hospital on January 31, 2024, at a time when the King was recovering after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
Maggie's has 27 centres across the UK, built in the grounds of major NHS cancer hospitals, and supports hundreds of thousands of people each year.
