Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondent
King Charles has recorded a personal message about his experience of cancer, which will be broadcast in this year’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign, run by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
Buckingham Palace said the King would talk about his “recovery journey” as a cancer patient, in a video message on Friday at 20:00 GMT.
The message, recorded at Clarence House two weeks ago, will emphasise the importance of cancer screening checks to ensure more people catch the disease at an early stage.
This will be a rare update on the health of King, who has been undergoing regular treatment since revealing his diagnosis in February 2024. But it is thought unlikely the King will identify his type of cancer.
The Stand Up To Cancer campaign each year raises funds for medical research and treatment and encourages people to get check-ups to increase the chances of an early diagnosis.
The King’s relative openness about his illness, and living with cancer, has been intended to raise awareness and to get more people to get tested – and this will be taken a step further with this unusual personal contribution.
So far the King’s main approach to his cancer has been to keep working, maintaining a busy schedule despite his regular rounds of treatment, and he seems not to have wanted to be defined by his illness.
This year has seen the King, 77, taking several overseas trips, including to Italy and Canada, and hosting the biggest number of inward state visits to the UK for almost 40 years, including the German president last week.
Before the announcement of this special broadcast, the King earlier this week enjoyed an atmospheric and meditative Advent service in Westminster Abbey, with a message from the King highlighting that this was a season of optimism and “hope”.
Friday evening’s Stand Up to Cancer show on Channel 4, presented by celebrities including Davina McCall, Adam Hills and Clare Balding, will urge people not to be frightened of getting cancer checks.
All three have been affected by cancer – McCall said last month she had undergone surgery for breast cancer, while Balding was treated for thyroid cancer more than 15 years ago. Comedian Hills has previously spoken about his late father, who had stomach cancer and then later leukaemia.
The show will appeal to the estimated nine million people in the UK who Cancer Research UK says are not up to date with NHS screening schemes, with an online checker to let people see if they are eligible for tests for breast, bowel and cervical cancer.
In an attempt to demystify cancer checks and show the value of early diagnosis there will be a live broadcast from cancer clinics at Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth hospitals in Cambridge.
“I want to take the fear out of cancer screening and show everyone that they are not on their own in this,” said Davina McCall.
Currently in the UK, there are three NHS cancer screening programmes – for bowel, breast and cervical cancer – available to certain age groups.
A new lung cancer screening programme is also being slowly rolled out for anyone at high risk of developing the disease, specifically targeting people aged 55-74 years old, who currently smoke or used to.
Men may enquire about prostate cancer checks, but there is no national programme in place.
The Stand Up to Cancer project, which has raised £113m since 2012, is funding 73 clinical trials involving 13,000 patients.
King Charles, in a message for guests at a reception for cancer charities in April, had spoken of recognising the “daunting and at times frightening experience” for cancer sufferers and their loved ones.
But he said his experience of living with cancer had shown him that “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion,” as he praised those who cared for cancer patients.
The Palace has not revealed what kind of cancer the King has, or what treatment he has received. The King’s cancer was discovered after he had undergone a prostate procedure.
