Her Majesty The Queen speaks for the first time about emotional official visit to Maggie's days before His Majesty The King鈥檚 diagnosis made public
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Her Majesty The Queen has talked about the vital importance of expert support for those diagnosed with cancer, and their families, in a new video filmed in collaboration with Maggie鈥檚.
In the film, produced to mark 夜色直播 30th anniversary, The Queen reveals for the first time how she felt when she officially opened a Maggie鈥檚 cancer support centre just days before news of The King鈥檚 own diagnosis was made public in 2024.
The Queen, who has been President of Maggie鈥檚 since 2008, describes the emotional visit in January 2024 while speaking with our Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee DBE. Her Majesty says:
I remember coming to see a Maggie鈥檚 just after The King being diagnosed. Nobody could say anything at the time. That was quite difficult.
鈥淚 almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn鈥檛 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.鈥
Her Majesty continued by saying: 鈥淚 was just longing to let it out but obviously I couldn鈥檛.鈥
The film*, made by Buckingham Palace in conjunction with Maggie鈥檚, features people living with cancer who have been supported by Maggie鈥檚. It also captures Her Majesty鈥檚 visit to the centre in Cheltenham earlier this year where she gave a speech to mark 30 years of Maggie鈥檚 transformational care.
The visit remembered by The Queen was the official opening of the Maggie鈥檚 centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London at the end of January 2024.
The importance of support for family and friends
Our Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee DBE said: 鈥淚t was a huge privilege to sit in conversation with our President, Her Majesty The Queen, as part of a film to mark 30 years of Maggie鈥檚 supporting people impacted by cancer, and to hear her speak so powerfully of her own emotions when visiting our Royal Free centre, while knowing about His Majesty鈥檚 diagnosis, is a huge honour.
鈥淭he King鈥檚 openness about his diagnosis has undoubtedly helped others to be more open themselves and to now hear The Queen鈥檚 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.
鈥淓veryone at Maggie鈥檚 is incredibly grateful to have Her Majesty The Queen as our President and this extraordinary film not only helps us mark 30 years of providing transformational cancer support, it also helps us look to the future and our ambition of having 60 centres across the UK.鈥
Her Majesty The Queen has visited 18 out of Maggie鈥檚 27 centres, some more than once. Her most recent visit was to Maggie鈥檚 in Cheltenham in January 2026 to help mark the opening of a new extension to support more people living with cancer.
Our ambition of 60 centres in the UK
Since the first Maggie鈥檚 centre opened in 1996 in the grounds of the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, Maggie鈥檚 has redefined what cancer care should be, offering free psychological, emotional and practical support for people with cancer as well as their family and friends.
There are now 27 centres across the UK built in the grounds of major NHS cancer hospitals and supporting hundreds of thousands of people each year.
With the number of people with cancer set to rise rapidly over the next 30 years, Maggie鈥檚 aims to support millions more visits to centres from people with cancer and people who love them by having 60 Maggie鈥檚 centres across the UK 鈥 one at every major NHS cancer centre.
Here for 30 years, here for good
Whatever kind of cancer, whatever stage you're at, 夜色直播 is here with you.
Our expert staff are here to listen to your concerns and find the help you need wherever you are 鈥 over the phone and online.
- Just come in
- Call us on 0300 123 180 or arrange a callback
- Email us at鈥[email protected]
- Our phone lines and centres are open 鈥疢onday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
*Film credit: /