Queen Camilla issues emotional speech about cancer following King Charles health update
He revealed his diagnosis in 2024Queen Camilla has spoken out about the emotional toll of cancer as she continues to support King Charles amid his own battle.
This week, Her Majesty headed to Cheltenham and visited the cancer charity Maggie’s to mark the organisation’s 30th anniversary of providing expert cancer care. There she spoke to patients and families living with the cruel disease.
And things no doubt took an emotional turn when Camilla made a speech about cancer care, insisting that those who have the disease should have somewhere where they “needn’t pretend to be fine”.
Queen Camilla makes cancer speech
On Wednesday (January 21), Camilla visited the charity Maggie’s as it celebrated its 30th anniversary. While there, the queen, who is the president of Maggie’s, paid tribute to its founder Maggie Keswick Jencks.
Camilla said: “Maggie was convinced that people living with cancer crave a beautiful, comforting environment as they face the unknown.
“A place where they needn’t pretend to be fine, where laughter can come as naturally as tears. Because sometimes that’s what’s wanted.”
Camilla also recalled meeting Maggie. She said: “I first met Maggie many years ago, in the Swinging Sixties, when I ventured into her beautiful and cool boutique, AnnaCat.
“I remember her then as being warm, funny and generous. And it was with those characteristics that she confronted her cancer diagnosis in 1988, at the age of 47.”
Camilla says ‘it’s life-changing’
Camilla then noted that Maggie’s centres are “bright and peaceful” places that are filled with “inspiring people”.
She also spoke to the mother of a cancer patient. The mum Nikki told Camilla: “As we all know, in a hospital environment, you just don’t get that support when you’re sat in cold waiting rooms. Or you’re sat by a bed. Once the treatment is over, you are just left on your own.”
The queen said back: “There are hundreds of questions to ask which nobody has time to answer. But you come here and there are people ready to answer.”
What’s more, when someone else told Camilla about the support they received at the centre, she applauded the charity. She said: “It’s life-changing.”
Latest update on King Charles’ cancer
The queen’s speech comes after husband King Charles issued an update on his cancer battle in December.
Charles, who first revealed his diagnosis in February 2024, made an appearance during a special televised broadcast of Stand Up To Cancer late last year.
He shared: “Indeed, 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.
“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 50% of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”
The king hasn’t revealed the type of cancer he has.
Read more: King Charles warned over Donald Trump visit in US: ‘It will make the UK look weak’
What do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
