King Charles has delivered a historic televised message this evening, as part of Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer 2025 broadcast, sharing news about his ongoing battle with cancer.
This is the first official update from Charles himself, since his diagnosis with an unspecified type of cancer was shared in February 2024. The illness was discovered after he was treated for an enlarged prostate. Typically, the Sovereign’s medical matters are private, so the broadcast showed a departure from royal convention that hasn’t previously been seen before.
Charles opened his message by saying that speaking from his own experience ‘that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming’ and that he knows how ‘early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys’.
He added how early detection gives ‘invaluable time to medical teams – and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope’ stating that these are the ‘gifts we can all help deliver’.
‘Throughout my own cancer journey, I have been profoundly moved by what I can only call the “community of care” that surrounds every cancer patient – the specialists, the nurses, researchers and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives’.
The King shared the good news that due to his ‘early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to “doctors’ orders”, his cancer treatment will be reduced in the New Year. He noted how this milestone is a ‘personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years’.
Worryingly, Charles noted how he has heard that people avoid screening because it ‘may be frightening, embarrassing or uncomfortable’, but that many are glad they took part after taking them up on the invitation.
‘A few moments of minor inconvenience are a small price to pay for the reassurance that comes for most people when they are either told either they don’t need further tests, or, for some, are given the chance to enable early detection, with the life-saving intervention that can follow’.
His Majesty decided to use the historic video message to talk about the new online national Screening Checker, having heard that ‘at least nine million people in our country are not up to date with the cancer screenings available to them’, which he describes as ‘nine million opportunities for early diagnosis being missed’.
‘Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives,’ Charles expressed.
‘As I have observed before, the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion. But compassion must be paired with action. This December, as we gather to reflect on the year past, I pray that we can each pledge, as part of our resolutions for the year ahead, to play our part in helping to catch cancer early. Your life – or the life of someone you love – may depend upon it’.
The King closed his message by expressing his most ‘heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, researchers and charity workers involved in diagnosis and treatment programmes, together with my particular good wishes to those for whom they care so selflessly.’
Charles postponed public engagements for a time following his cancer diagnosis, while continuing with the unseen royal work, such as reading the daily red boxes of briefings, and relevant government and Privy Council meetings.
The King has been receiving his treatment as an outpatient since then, and is believed to attend weekly sessions at the London Clinic. The Palace has never confirmed what type of cancer he has nor the treatments he would receive, despite a reaction with ‘temporary side effects’ that pulled Charles away from public work in March.
The Stand Up to Cancer project has raised £113 million since 2012, and is funding 73 clinical trials involving 13,000 patients.
