King Charles has recorded a personal message about his cancer journey in a groundbreaking moment for the monarchy.
The 77-year-old king will discuss his “recovery” as a patient in a video message broadcast on Friday at 8pm, UK time, according to Buckingham Palace.
It’s understood it was recorded at Clarence House two weeks ago, and will mark a significant break in tradition
The speech is part of the “Stand Up To Cancer 2025” campaign, run by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, which aims to raise funds for medical research and also encourage people to get regular check-ups in a bid to promote early diagnosis.
The King has made a point of maintaining a heavy workload following a brief break after revealing his cancer diagnosis in early 2024.
While still undergoing regular rounds of treatment, he has also taken several overseas trips this year, including to Italy and Canada, and hosted three state visits – the largest number in a 12-month period in almost four decades.
The King has already been more open about his health issues than previous monarchs, although he has declined to reveal the type of cancer he was diagnosed with.
It’s understood this is partly out of a desire for medical privacy but also to maintain connection with the broadest possible audience among the cancer community.
Since his diagnosis, the King has offered rare glimpses into the day-to-day struggles of living with cancer, including during a conversation with a fellow cancer patient in September.
While speaking with a 73-year-old patient at a Birmingham hospital, the King admitted he was “not too bad”, adding that “half the problem is detecting it, isn’t it, on time”.
In late March, the Palace released a statement revealing that the monarch had called off a string of engagements after being admitted to hospital after experiencing “temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital”.
The incident unfolded following “scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer”, the statement continued.
While the Palace did not comment on the specific nature of the side effects, it’s understood not to be uncommon with cancer patients.
Sources later described the medical incident as a “most minor bump in a road that’s very much heading in the right direction” to the Daily Mail, but added that it was necessary to cancel the engagements in order to “protect and prioritise [his] continued very positive recovery”.
In June, a senior royal aide told US magazine People that the King was continuing to successfully “manage” his condition amid his gruelling workload.
“The thing you learn about this illness is that you just manage it, and that’s what he does,” the Palace source revealed.
“Medical science has made incredible advances, and I genuinely see no difference in him.
“As long as you just do what the doctors say, just live your life as normal as possible. That’s exactly what he is doing.”
