Why Queen Camilla Wanted King Charles to Keep His Cancer Diagnosis a Secret

Earlier this year, King Charles III bravely shared he was diagnosed with cancer—a show of unprecedented transparency from a royal family member. Although he has been met with a warm reception for his bout of honesty, his wife, Queen Camilla, was against his decision to share the medical news. Robert Jobson, author of the 2023 biography Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed and the upcoming Catherine, The Princess of Wales, discussed Charles and Camilla’s misalignment with The Independent.

“Queen Camilla had initially been against disclosing his condition, but the King overruled her, as he felt it was a chance to take a lead,” Jobson said. “And in doing so to encourage men experiencing similar symptoms to seek timely medical attention.”

The monarch underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate back in January, during which doctors found cancer. The king announced his diagnosis on February 5, 2024.

“No further details are being shared at this stage, except to confirm that His Majesty does not have prostate cancer,” the palace wrote in a statement at the time.

Following the news, Jobson stated there was a significant increase in searches related to enlarged prostates on the National Health Service website.

“The NHS England page on benign prostate enlargement had more than 26,000 visits in the 48 hours after the announcement, compared to a daily average of just 1,400,” Jobson explained.

He said the move not only encouraged others to check in on their own health, but represented a newfound sense of trust toward the royal family.

“He was lauded for doing so, with commentators saying he had ushered in a new era of transparency in matters of health and the royal family,” Jobson said.

Charles’s daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, followed in his footsteps just a month later. The princess announced her own cancer diagnosis in an emotional video message posted to Instagram on March 22.