King Charles has recorded a video message for the Stand Up To Cancer campaign, which will be broadcast on Friday evening and is expected to provide an update on his own recovery from cancer. The pre-recorded message, which stresses the importance of cancer screening programmes for early diagnosis, will air at 8pm on Channel 4, just before a live show presented by Davina McCall.
Although no official health update has been issued recently, the King told a well-wisher in May that he believed he was “on the better side” of his cancer journey. His diagnosis was announced in February 2024, leading him to postpone all public-facing engagements for a period. He returned to public duties in April 2024, visiting a cancer centre in London with the Queen.
The King’s message was recorded in the last week of November in the morning room at Clarence House. It forms part of a week-long series of fundraising events and celebrity challenges organised by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, culminating in Friday’s live comedy and entertainment night. Highlights include Davina McCall, who recently revealed she had been treated for breast cancer, presenting a live programme from Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and a special Celebrity Gogglebox.
Since early February 2024, the King has been receiving outpatient cancer treatment, believed to be weekly sessions at the London Clinic. He experienced a “minor bump” in March when he spent a short time in hospital due to temporary side effects from treatment. Despite this, his workload increased at the start of the year following positive progress, and he has continued with his duties as head of state, including audiences and Privy Council meetings.
The exact type of cancer has not been disclosed. It was discovered in January 2024 when the King spent three nights in hospital for a procedure on an enlarged prostate. In April, during a visit to University College Hospital, he told a fellow patient that being diagnosed was “always a bit of a shock”.
