Queen Camilla has admitted she almost revealed King Charles III's cancer diagnosis while attending an event in London before the official palace announcement.
Speaking in a seven-minute video recorded for the 30th anniversary of the cancer support charity Maggie's, the Queen revealed that she learned about her husband's illness in late January 2024, according to BBC News.
At the time, Camilla was opening a new support centre for cancer patients at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The hospital visit took place five days before Buckingham Palace officially announced on February 5, 2024, that cancer had been detected in the King.
The Royal Free Hospital is a major teaching hospital in London, while Maggie's is a national charity operating support centres across Britain that provide free practical and emotional guidance to cancer patients and their families.
In a conversation with the chief executive officer of Maggie's, Camilla confessed that keeping the diagnosis secret was very difficult. She explained that nobody could say anything at the time and that she almost let the news slip, adding that she terribly wanted to tell people but felt it was not the right time.
The Queen said meeting patients and their relatives on that day became especially meaningful. She noted that watching those who suffer and their families made her realise more deeply how vital support centres like Maggie's are.
Impact on the royal family
Camilla explained that the King's diagnosis changed her personal perspective on working with cancer patients. She recalled that cancer had never touched her personally before, but having her husband diagnosed made her realise she was now someone with a sick loved one needing to help her husband and navigate the situation.
Despite the illness, King Charles III refused to alter his pace of life, according to his wife. She said nothing stopped the monarch, who insisted that he would handle the situation in his own way.
King Charles returned to public duties in April 2024 and continues to receive treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. Maggie's, where Queen Camilla serves as president, reported that the King's openness about his diagnosis led to a 12 percent increase in the number of men seeking help from the organisation.
Reunion with Prince Harry
The revelations follow a recent visit in which King Charles and Queen Camilla met with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is the younger son of King Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He and his wife Meghan stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the United States with their family.
The meeting marked the first time in four years that the monarch had met with his younger son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandchildren. The family visited King Charles at his private residence in the county of Gloucestershire, England.
