'I was longing to let it out’: Queen Camilla on King’s cancer secret & the time she ‘almost said something'
Queen Camilla discussed the emotional challenge of keeping King Charles's cancer diagnosis secret during a visit to a Maggie's cancer support center in 2024. She emphasized how the experience deepened her empathy for those suffering from the disease and highlighted the importance of support services.
Why it matters
The royal family's openness about health struggles can reduce the stigma surrounding cancer and increase public awareness of support organizations.
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.
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