Queen Camilla has given a rare, personal interview about her and King Charles’ relationship and the monarch’s health, recalling an intensely difficult period following his cancer diagnosis when the news was not yet public.
While marking the 30th anniversary of cancer charity Maggie’s, Camilla said meeting cancer patients and their loved ones back in January 2024 (while opening the new Maggie’s Cancer Support Centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London) felt especially poignant—given she was secretly dealing with her husband’s own diagnosis behind the scenes.
“Nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult,” the Queen revealed while in conversation with Dame Laura Lee, the chief executive of Maggie’s. “I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn’t the time to say. I was just longing to let it out, but obviously I couldn’t.”
A week later, the news of King Charles’ diagnosis (his specific type of cancer still has not been revealed) was shared with the press.
The Queen added that she had to hold back from asking those at the Maggie’s centre for extra details. “I was almost questioning them. I didn’t want to pry too deeply,” she said. “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 added, “I looked at everybody who was suffering and all the relations and I think it made me realize even more how important these places were.”
Dame Laura praised the monarch’s openness about his health and said it has encouraged a 12 percent rise in men reaching out for support following a cancer diagnosis. “To now hear the Queen’s completely understandable and natural response as a wife shines a light on why it is so important that family and friends also get the support they need,” she shared.
