Queen Camilla offered a rare reflection on King Charles III’s cancer, candidly discussing the emotional impact his diagnosis had on her, particularly during the brief period before Buckingham Palace publicly announced it.
Shortly after Charles received his cancer diagnosis, Camilla paid an official visit to cancer patients and their families at a Maggie’s cancer support center in London. While speaking with patients, the queen said she was “longing” to talk about her husband’s own diagnosis.
“Nobody could say anything at that time. That was quite difficult,” Camilla said in a video shared Tuesday by Buckingham Palace and Maggie’s, the cancer charity of which she is president.
“I almost said something,” she added, “(but) I felt that it wasn’t the time to say.”
Camilla, who has served as president of Maggie’s since 2008, has made dozens of visits with cancer patients, but this time she found herself there not simply as the charity’s president, but as a concerned spouse.
“I was almost questioning them,” she recalled, though said she held back because she “didn’t want to pry too deeply.”
“Normally when I went in, I was just talking to them, but ... I felt it was much more deep,” she added.
Camilla added that looking after her “poor husband” gave her a newfound perspective on the toll a cancer diagnosis can take on an entire family, underscoring the importance of services like Maggie’s, which offers counseling, information and other support as patients undergo treatment.
“Look at my husband, nothing stopped him,” Camilla said. “He just said, ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it.’”
The royal family is traditionally tight-lipped about their health, though Charles chose to publicly share his cancer diagnosis to “prevent speculation” and hoped he could provide “understanding to all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” per Buckingham Palace.
In a rare update shared in December, Charles announced his cancer treatment schedule would be reduced — a major stride forward that Charles attributed to “early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors’ orders.”
In the years since Charles publicly shared his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, the number of men visiting the charity’s centers has risen 12%, Laura Lee, Maggie’s chief executive, told Camilla.
“The king’s openness about his diagnosis has undoubtedly helped others to be more open themselves,” said Lee. “And 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.”