Queen Camilla Says It Was 'Quite Difficult' to Keep King Charles' Cancer Battle Under Wraps Before Palace's Official Announcement

Queen Camilla reflected on her husband King Charles' cancer diagnosis and how it was hard for her to keep it a secret before Buckingham Palace officially announced the news.

During a conversation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of U.K. cancer charity Maggie’s on Tuesday, August 18, Camilla, 79, got candid about the monarch's health.

The Palace stated on February 5, 2024 that Charles, 77, was diagnosed with a "form of a cancer" following a benign enlarged prostate procedure a month prior.

The former Duchess of Cornwall told Maggie's chief executive Laura Lee in the chat how she visited the cancer support center at the Royal Free Hospital in London a week before the announcement.

“I remember coming to see a Maggie’s [center] just after the king being diagnosed,” Camilla recalled.

“Nobody could say anything at the time, that was quite difficult," the sovereign noted. “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,” Camilla went on, also adding how well Charles is currently holding up. “Look at my husband. Nothing stopped him. He just said, ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it,’” she raved.

“It made me realize even more how important these places were,” Camilla said during the interview, which was filmed at the monarchs' beloved residence, 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 royal explained.

During Camilla's visit to the cancer organization in January 2024, she was asked about Charles' well-being following his surgery. “He’s getting on, doing his best,” she told onlookers at the time.

In December 2025, the former Prince of Wales revealed his cancer treatment would be scaled back.

"Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders,’ my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the New Year," Charles said in a video message.

"This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the fifty percent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives," he said.