Queen Camilla's Tearful Confession About Husband's Diagnosis Caught on Video

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. The illness was detected while the sovereign had been undergoing a separate medical procedure, and he began treatment immediately, withdrawing from public-facing duties. Shortly after, his daughter-in-law, Princess Catherine, was diagnosed with cancer as well. While much focus and attention was poured onto the two royals in the wake of the news, not much was said for their spouses or other family members, who likely bore the hardships alongside them in private. In a recent video shared by Buckingham Palace, a tearful Queen Camilla finally opens up about how she felt in the lead up to the public disclosure of her husband's condition.

"I remember coming to see a Maggie's just after the King being diagnosed," she shared. The video showed the Queen visibly tearing up while holding a pile of photographs from the visit. "Nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult. I almost said something, but felt that it wasn't the time to say. Looked at everybody who was suffering and all the relations, and I think it made me realize even more how important these places were."

Queen Camilla sat in conversation with Dame Laura Lee DBE, CEO of Maggie's. Maggie's is a network of cancer support centers offering free programs for patients and their families that include counseling, healthcare information, financial resources and physical activities. The Queen has been president of the organization since 2008, and has visited 18 of the U.K.'s 27 centers.

While this is a rare candid moment for the Queen, she's not the first royal to have opened up about the rocky health journeys the family has been experiencing. In May, her stepson, Prince William, shared some deeply personal words about his wife, following her first overseas trip since being diagnosed.

"I'm very, very proud. She's been amazing. She's been through so much in the last couple of years," he told Heart Radio. "She's an amazing mum and amazing wife and literally our family couldn't cope without her. So she's been absolutely stunning."