Queen Camilla has spoken for the first time about the difficult emotional experience of keeping the King’s cancer a secret before it was announced to the rest of the world.
Camilla carried on with her royal duties by visiting a Maggie’s cancer support centre in 2024 when she knew of Charles’s diagnosis but the public did not, just days before the news was officially disclosed.
In a short film made in collaboration between Buckingham Palace and Maggie’s to mark the charity’s 30th anniversary, she revealed her feelings about having to deal privately with the challenging news about her husband’s health.
‘Longing to let it out’
The Queen described “longing to let it out”, saying “obviously I couldn’t” and called the experience two years ago “quite difficult”.
She revealed she “almost said something” but felt the time was not right.
Camilla also spoke of helping to look after her “poor husband” but recalled how the King ploughed on after his diagnosis as his way of coping.
“Nothing stopped him. He just said ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it’,” she said.
Courage during 2024 engagement
Maggie’s chief executive Dame Laura Lee, who was filmed in conversation with Camilla at Clarence House, praised the Queen for her courage during the 2024 engagement.
Camilla, who is president of Maggie’s, officially launched its new centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London on January 31 2024, while the King was recovering from treatment for an enlarged prostate.
It was revealed in the film that Charles had, by that time, already been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, with the news being announced to the nation by the palace five days later on February 5.
King’s treatment and return to duties
The health of the 77-year-old monarch, who is still receiving cancer treatment, is said to be continuing in a very positive direction, with Charles announcing the “personal blessing” at the end of last year that his schedule of treatment was being reduced.
The Queen said: “I remember coming to see a Maggie’s just after the King being diagnosed.
“Nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult.
“I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn’t the time to say.
“(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.”
Dame Laura told the Queen: “It was just a week before it became public and the courage that must have taken for you…”
Camilla replied: “Well it wasn’t… I was just longing to let it out but obviously I couldn’t.”
She spoke about talking to visitors at the centre during the engagement: “I was almost questioning them. I didn’t want to pry too deeply.
“But normally when I went in, I was just talking to them, but I don’t know, I felt it was much more deep.”
Dame Laura talked about the number of people who had been coming to its centres because of the King being open and continuing to have a productive life, and that Maggie’s had seen a 12% increase in men visiting.
Charles returned to public-facing engagements in April 2024, less than three months after his treatment began.
He is known for being a workaholic and the Queen has spoken before of how he “won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told” even after his diagnosis.
She said in Wednesday’s video which is available on YouTube: “Look at my husband. Nothing stopped him. He just said ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it’.”
She added: “It made me realise even more how important these places were.
“It had never really come back to roost at home, and suddenly your husband is diagnosed, and you think ‘Goodness I’ve been talking to all these people and now I’m the one with some relation who’s got to help to look after my poor husband and try and understand it all.”
Support for patients and families
The Queen recorded the seven-minute film to highlight the vital support Maggie’s offers cancer patients, and to promote the services they provide for relatives and especially to men who may be more reluctant to seek help.
She called on every hospital to have a Maggie’s centre.
Dame Laura described Camilla, who has been president of the charity since 2008, as speaking “powerfully of her own emotions” and displaying her “natural response” as a wife, as the chief executive also praised the King for his openness.
She said: “To hear her speak so powerfully of her own emotions when visiting our Royal Free centre, while knowing about His Majesty’s diagnosis, is a huge honour.
“The King’s openness about his diagnosis has undoubtedly helped others to be more open themselves and to now hear the Queen’s completely understandable and natural response as a wife shines a light on why it is so important that family and friends also get the support they need.”
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.
The organisation offers care for people affected by cancer, including free psychological, emotional and practical support, with no appointments necessary for the drop-in sessions.
