Queen Camilla has now shared her ordeal at having to keep King Charles’ cancer diagnosis a secret in the beginning.
The queen opened a new Maggie’s cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London in January 2024. It wasn’t until five days later that Buckingham Palace announced the king’s undisclosed form of cancer.
So while meeting patients and their loved ones at the centre in 2024, Camilla admitted she struggled to keep her own family’s news private.
Queen Camilla’s secret struggle of keeping King Charles’ cancer secret at first
The queen recalled: “I remember coming to see a Maggie’s just after the king had been diagnosed. Nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult.”
Camilla discussed the experience with Maggie’s chief executive Dame Laura Lee in a seven-minute film created by Buckingham Palace and the charity to marks Maggie’s 30th anniversary.
The queen, who has been a president of the charity since 2008, admitted that she had to stop herself from sharing what her family was facing behind closed doors.
Camilla continued: “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.”
She added: “I was just longing to let it out but obviously I couldn’t.”
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Queen Camilla shares King Charles’ response to cancer diagnosis
During their conversation, the queen also shared her husband’s response to receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Camilla said: “Look at my husband. Nothing stopped him. He just said, ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it.'”
Buckingham Palace said Charles had “responded exceptionally well to treatment” and that his recovery had reached a “very positive” stage.
Impact of sharing secret
Dame Laura told the queen that the charity had recorded a 12 per cent increase in men accessing its services following his decision to discuss his diagnosis publicly.
She said: “The more open that you are about when you are talking about it, the less scary cancer can become. If you just keep the lid on it, it can build up.”
Maggie’s offers free help to people with cancer, as well as support for their families and friends.
At the end of last year, King Charles announced that his cancer treatment would be reduced in the new year.
Meanwhile, this year, he has continued to maintain his royal duties.
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