Queen Camilla has described the challenge of keeping King Charles III's cancer diagnosis confidential during a visit to a cancer support centre, before the news was made public. In a promotional film for the charity Maggie's, released today, she admitted the situation was "quite difficult" as she was "longing to let it out" but could not.
Camilla's visit to Maggie's before the public announcement
On 31st January 2024, Camilla attended the Royal Free Hospital in London to mark the opening of a Maggie's centre. At that time, King Charles' cancer diagnosis had not yet been revealed to the public; the official announcement came on 5th February 2024. Reflecting on that visit in the film, Camilla said: "I remember coming to see Maggie's just after the King had been diagnosed and nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult."
She added: "I almost said something but I felt 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 Lee DBE, the charity's chief executive, responded: "It was just a week before it became public and the courage that that must have taken for you to make that visit." Camilla replied: "I was just longing to let it out but obviously I couldn't."
Camilla praises King Charles' courageous spirit
Throughout the film, Camilla praised her husband's attitude towards his illness. When told that the King was inspiring to others facing a similar diagnosis, she said: "Look at my husband. Nothing stopped him." She recalled that Charles declared at the time: "This is my way, I am going to cope with it." According to Camilla, his defiant approach had a positive impact on the drop-in centres overall.
Dame Laura explained that the charity had seen a 12 per cent increase in male users since King Charles' news was announced. She spoke of "the amount of people that come in because of the King being so open about his diagnosis" in the short film. Camilla, who has been president of Maggie's since 2008, continued: "It had never really come back to roost at home, and suddenly your husband is diagnosed and you think, 'Goodness'."
Emotional reflections on the support provided by Maggie's
Camilla admitted that even the King's illness "didn't stop him" fulfilling his duties. She also reflected on her interactions with centre visitors during that 2024 visit. "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," she said.
Dame Laura reassured Camilla: "The more open that you are when you talk about it, the less scary cancer can become." She added: "If you just keep the lid on it, it can build up. On that visit, you did sit with centre visitors and the empathy and support you were able to offer." The film was released to celebrate the non-profit organisation's 30th anniversary.
