// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Camilla admits it was 'difficult' to keep King's cancer diagnosis a secret
Queen Camilla on not being able to talk about King's cancer diagnosis
Queen Camilla has spoken for the first time about King Charles III's cancer diagnosis, describing the pressure of keeping it secret in the early stages of treatment.
In a video to mark the 30th anniversary of Maggie's cancer charity, the Queen, who is president of the charity, recalls how "difficult" it was to avoid discussing her husband's treatment while on an official engagement with cancer patients and their families.
In January 2024, the Queen opened a new Maggie's cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
She had just found out that the King had cancer and would need treatment but had to hold back from telling anyone as the official announcement had not been made public.
"Nobody could say anything at the time, that was quite difficult.
"I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn't the time to say," the Queen told the chief executive of Maggie's, Dame Laura Lee.
"It was just a week before it became public and the courage that must have taken for you," Dame Laura told the Queen - referring to how personally challenging the hospital visit must have been.
"I was just longing to let it out, but obviously I couldn't," the Queen said.
The King's cancer diagnosis was revealed on 5 February 2024, just days after the Queen's engagement at the Royal Free Hospital.