UK's King Charles To Give Personal TV Message About Cancer 'Journey'

London: Britain's King Charles III, who has broken royal taboos to speak openly about battling cancer, will appear Friday in a "personal message" filmed for a TV campaign raising funds for research into the devastating disease.

Charles, 77, announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer the previous month.

In a candid written message during a reception in April at Buckingham Palace for cancer campaigners, the monarch acknowledged that every cancer diagnosis is“daunting and at times frightening”.

He said there were more than 1,000 new cancer cases diagnosed every day in the UK, or some 390,000 a year.

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“But as one of those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity,” he said.

The king's frankness about his illness is a marked departure from the reign of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose health was for decades a closely-guarded secret.

Buckingham Palace said Charles had pre-recorded a video message for the Stand Up To Cancer joint campaign between Cancer Research and Channel 4 to air at 8:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday.

The king“will stress the importance of cancer screening programs in enabling early diagnosis and will reflect on his own recovery journey,” the palace said.

Charles recorded the message during the last week of November at Clarence House, his London residence.

Fundraisers and celebrity challenges have been taking place throughout the week leading up to Friday's show.

Stand Up To Cancer, which brings together UK celebrities in a national, televised fund-raising drive, says to date it has raised more than £113 million ($151 million).

The funds aid research into more than 20 different types of cancer, including brain tumors, avoiding surgery for those with rectal cancer, and designing methods to lessen the often brutal side effects of chemotherapy.

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