On Friday night (December 12), the King gave a very personal speech on TV about his own experience with cancer. The message was shown during this year’s Stand Up To Cancer programme.

This was one of the most honest updates King Charles has given since he announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024. In the speech, which aired at 8pm on Channel 4, he spoke strongly about why cancer screenings are so important.

He said that being told you have cancer can feel frightening and overwhelming. But he also explained that finding cancer early can make a huge difference to treatment and can give people hope. He shared that he was deeply worried to learn that around nine million people in the UK are not up to date with their cancer screenings. That means millions of chances to catch cancer early are being missed. He stressed that early diagnosis saves lives, something he has heard many times while visiting cancer centres.

The 77-year-old King also talked about Cancer Research UK’s new Cancer Screening Checker, which went online on December 5. He said the tool helps make screening easier to understand, answers common questions, and guides people to take the next step.

The checker lets people see which cancer screenings are available in their local area and which ones they can take through the NHS or Public Health Agency.

After the King shared his message, Cancer Research UK saw a big rise in people visiting their website. The charity’s CEO, Michelle Mitchell, said around 100,000 people have already used the screening checker, with most visits happening after the King spoke openly about his cancer journey on the live show.

She said the response proves how important it is to talk openly about cancer. She explained that many people find screening confusing, which is why the charity created this simple tool. Spending just a few minutes checking which screenings you can have could help protect your health and even save lives.

Buckingham Palace later said that the King was “deeply touched” by the very positive response his message received.