Sovereign to Broadcast First-Hand Message on His Health Battle in TV Programme
The Monarch has taped a intimate address regarding his experience with cancer, set to air as part of this year's Stand Up To Cancer initiative, organised by a leading cancer charity and a television broadcaster.
Official sources confirmed the King would reflect on his "recovery journey" as a cancer patient, in a recorded address on this Friday at 20:00 GMT.
The recording, taped inside a royal residence recently, will highlight the critical nature of cancer screening checks to help guarantee more people catch the condition at an early stage.
This constitutes a rare update on the health of the Sovereign, who has been receiving ongoing care since his condition was announced in early last year. Analysts suggest doubtful the King will disclose his particular diagnosis.
Awareness Central Purpose
The awareness campaign each year collects money for medical research and treatment and prompts people to get check-ups to boost the odds of an timely detection.
The King's relative openness about his condition, and managing the disease, has been aimed to raise awareness and to persuade more people to get tested - and this will be taken a step further with this unusual personal contribution.
So far the King's primary strategy to his cancer has been to maintain his duties, maintaining a hectic timetable in spite of his ongoing course of care, and he appears not to have wanted to be defined by his diagnosis.
The past twelve months has seen the Sovereign, undertaking several foreign visits, such as visits to Italy and Canada, and receiving the biggest number of official guests to the UK for a generation, which included the German president in recent days.
Friday's Evening Programme
This Friday's awareness show on Channel 4, hosted by presenters including Davina McCall, Adam Hills and Clare Balding, will encourage people not to be scared of getting cancer checks.
The hosts have been had experience with cancer - Davina McCall revealed last month she had had an operation for breast cancer, while Clare Balding was treated for thyroid cancer over a decade ago. Host Hills has previously discussed his parent, who had a diagnosis and then later leukaemia.
The programme will target the approximate nine million people in the UK who charities estimate are not compliant with NHS screening schemes, with an digital tool to let people see if they are eligible for tests for key health indicators.
In an effort to clarify screenings and demonstrate the value of early diagnosis there will be a real-time transmission from hospital departments at two Cambridge hospitals in Cambridge.
"My aim is to take the fear surrounding health checks and demonstrate all people that they are not isolated in this," said a presenter.
Available National Services
At present in the UK, there are several key NHS cancer screening programmes - for bowel, breast and cervical cancer - available to certain age groups.
A recently launched preventative initiative is also being slowly rolled out for anyone at potential risk of contracting the illness, focusing on people in a specific age bracket, who have a smoking history or were former smokers.
Male patients may enquire about prostate cancer checks, but there is no national programme operational.
Charitable Impact
The fundraising project, which has collected £113m over the past decade, is financing 73 medical projects with many patients.
King Charles, in a address for dignitaries at a gathering for support groups in the spring, had discussed recognising the "daunting and at times frightening experience" for those diagnosed and their families.
But he said his first-hand encounter of managing cancer had revealed that "the most difficult times of illness can be alleviated by the greatest compassion," as he commended those who cared for individuals with the illness.
Official sources has not made public the nature of cancer the King has, or what treatment he has received. The King's cancer was discovered following he had undergone a medical treatment.
