A royal aide opened up about how Queen Camilla balanced royal duties while supporting King Charles III after his cancer diagnosis in 2024.
“It was exhausting,” the unnamed aide said during an interview with Newsweek for a cover story published on Wednesday, March 12.
“The experience would have been overwhelming for someone half her age. However, I believe that if we were to try to find a silver lining in that situation, it did provide an opportunity for the media and the world to witness some of the important work she has always been dedicated to, but now with a heightened level of interest and understanding,” stated the aide.
The aide recounted a particular instance when Camilla visited a cancer center in London on January 31, 2024, despite knowing about her husband’s cancer diagnosis before it was made public.
“She had to fulfill her public obligations while being aware of her husband’s cancer diagnosis, including a visit to a Maggie’s center in London. Despite her private knowledge, she had to compose herself and not show even a hint of vulnerability during the visit,” the aide explained.
The aide added it was “astonishing” to see how Camilla balanced her role as a working royal with “her own private anxieties.”
On February 5, 2024, Buckingham Palace announced the king had been diagnosed with an undisclosed “form of cancer” following a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate.
The following month, Princess Kate Middleton revealed that she had also received a cancer diagnosis after undergoing abdominal surgery.
Though Kate announced in January that she is in remission, the king is thought to still be receiving treatment as he continues his duties.
Charles kicked off 2025 with a jam-packed schedule, including a visit to Poland in January for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The king and queen also plan to visit Italy in April.
Royal experts and former staff members previously told Us Weekly that the king has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
“He’s dedicated to his role,” former palace chef Darren McGrady told Us in January. “And I think the only thing that was holding him back in ‘24 was the cancer and, you know, getting through that.”
“There are very few things I think that would knock back King Charles from doing his duty, which I think he takes really seriously,” he added.
“I think everyone is looking forward to a year of a full schedule and uninterrupted engagements,” royal photographer Samir Hussein told Us. “Certainly the king is eager for that to be the case and it’s very encouraging the amount of jobs he has been able to take on despite his treatment.”
