The Queen’s comments came during a conversation to mark 30 years of U.K. cancer charity Maggie’s
Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; The Royal Family/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Queen Camilla reflected on the difficulty of keeping King Charles’ cancer diagnosis private early in his treatment during a conversation to mark 30 years of the U.K. cancer charity Maggie’s
- King Charles was diagnosed with cancer in early 2024 and has continued treatment since then
- Camilla praised her husband’s resilience and highlighted the importance of cancer support centers like Maggie’s
Queen Camilla is reflecting on how hard it was to keep King Charles’ cancer diagnosis a secret in the early stages of the monarch’s treatment.
Speaking for the first time about her husband’s diagnosis, which Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024, Camilla, 79, shared that the situation was “difficult” during a conversation to mark the 30th anniversary of U.K. cancer charity Maggie’s.
On Feb. 5, 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles, 77, had been diagnosed with “a form of cancer” after undergoing a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate the month prior. The King is undergoing continued treatment for the undisclosed type of cancer.
“I remember coming to see a Maggie’s [center] just after the King being diagnosed,” Camilla told Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie’s, in a conversation that was shared on the Royal Family’s Instagram account. “Nobody could say anything at the time, that was quite difficult.”
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“I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn’t the time to say,” the Queen continued.
In January 2024, Camilla visited Maggie’s Royal Free to officially open the new cancer support center at the Royal Free Hospital in London. At the time, Charles had just undergone surgery, and Camilla was asked how the monarch was doing.
“He’s getting on, doing his best,” royal correspondent Richard Palmer reported that she said on X.
During Camilla’s conversation with Lee, the chief executive noted that the Queen’s visit to Maggie’s was “just a week before it [Charles’ diagnosis] became public,” adding that the situation must have taken a great deal of “courage.”
“I was just longing to let it out, but obviously I couldn’t,” Camilla, who has been the president of Maggie’s since 2008, told Lee.
The Queen also commented on how her husband dealt with his diagnosis.
“Look at my husband. Nothing stopped him. He just said, ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it,’” she said.
“It made me realize even more how important these places were,” Camilla said during the conversation, which was filmed at Clarence House. “It had never really come back to roost at home, and suddenly your husband is diagnosed, and you think, goodness, and I’ve been talking to all these people, and now I’m the one with some relation who’s got to help look after my poor husband and try to understand it all.”
The Queen added that she felt a deeper connection with the families at Maggie’s shortly before Charles’ diagnosis was made public. “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.
“I looked at everybody who was suffering and all the relations,” Camilla added.
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Lee noted that there has been a 12% increase in men using Maggie’s since Charles went public with his diagnosis, with Camilla’s aim for there to be a center in every city around the U.K.
The Queen has made a few comments on her husband’s health since his diagnosis was announced, including sharing that he was “doing very well” during a September 2024 visit to the new Dyson Cancer Center at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England.
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Buckingham Palace
In December 2025, Charles then announced that his treatment would be “reduced” in 2026.
While avoiding the word “remission,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously confirmed that the King’s recovery reached a notably positive stage.
“His Majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment, and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase,” the spokesperson said. “This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.”
Five months later, in May, the King made a rare comment about his cancer treatment while talking to a patient at Guy’s Cancer Centre in London.
During the visit, Charles met Raymond Burgess, who was undergoing chemotherapy, and Burgess noted that the treatment had left him with a bad taste in his mouth.
Instantly empathizing with the side effect, Charles replied, per The Telegraph, “It’s an awful sort of metallic taste. It doesn’t exactly help with eating.”
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