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The news had not yet been shared with the public, leaving the Queen unable to discuss what she and her husband were privately facing

Queen Camilla has spoken publicly for the first time about the deeply personal experience of officially opening a Maggie's cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London in late January 2024, just days before Buckingham Palace announced King Charles's cancer diagnosis.

The revelation features in a new film produced jointly by the Palace and Maggie's to celebrate the charity's 30th anniversary, due for release on YouTube at midnight on Wednesday.

In the film, the Queen, who has served as President of Maggie's since 2008, reflects on the visit during a conversation with the charity's Chief Executive, Dame Laura Lee DBE.

At the time of the engagement, the King had already received his diagnosis, but the news had not yet been shared with the public, leaving the Queen unable to discuss what she and her husband were privately facing.

Speaking to Dame Laura Lee, the Queen described the emotional weight of that day.

"I remember coming to see a Maggie's just after The King being diagnosed. Nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult," she said.

She went on to reveal how close she came to breaking her silence. "I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn't the time to say.

"[I] looked at everybody who was suffering and all the relations and I think it made me realise even more how important these places were."

The Queen also admitted the toll of maintaining composure during the visit. "I was just longing to let it out but obviously I couldn't," she said.

Rather than diminishing the experience, however, the emotional difficulty of that day appeared to strengthen her conviction about the value of dedicated cancer support services.

Dame Laura Lee praised the Queen's willingness to share such a personal moment. She described it as "a huge privilege" to sit down with the charity's President and called hearing her speak so openly about her emotions at the Royal Free centre "a huge honour."

The charity chief also highlighted the broader significance of the Queen's words. "The King's openness about his diagnosis has undoubtedly helped others to be more open themselves and to now hear The Queen's completely understandable and natural response as a wife, shines a light on why it is so important that family and friends also get the support they need," she said.

Dame Laura Lee added that the film serves a dual purpose, both commemorating three decades of transformational cancer care and setting out the organisation's future vision. She expressed deep gratitude for the Queen's continued patronage.

Maggie's has grown significantly since its first centre opened in 1996 within the grounds of the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

The charity now operates 27 centres situated at major NHS cancer hospitals throughout the United Kingdom, providing free psychological, emotional and practical support to hundreds of thousands of people annually.

The organisation's ambition is to double that footprint to 60 centres — one at every major NHS cancer treatment hospital — as cancer diagnoses are expected to rise sharply over the coming three decades.

The Queen has personally visited 18 of the charity's 27 centres, with her most recent trip taking her to Cheltenham in January this year for the opening of a new extension.

The anniversary film also features individuals living with cancer who have received support from Maggie's. It will be available on YouTube from 00:01 BST on Wednesday 19th August.