Monarch to Broadcast Personal Address on Cancer in Television Broadcast
The Monarch has taped a intimate address concerning his experience with cancer, scheduled for transmission as part of this year's annual cancer awareness campaign, run by Cancer Research UK and a television broadcaster.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the King would reflect on his "path to recovery" as a cancer patient, in a video message on Friday evening at 20:00 GMT.
The message, recorded at a royal residence recently, will stress the critical nature of preventative health checks to ensure more people detect the illness at an initial point.
This will be a rare update on the wellbeing of the Monarch, who has been receiving ongoing care since the news was shared in early last year. But it is thought improbable the King will disclose his type of cancer.
The Campaign's Primary Goal
The annual charity campaign each year collects money for scientific studies and treatment and prompts people to get screenings to improve the odds of an early diagnosis.
The King's public discussion about his health challenge, and his experience as a patient, has been intended to promote education and to persuade more people to get screened - and this will be advanced with this exceptional royal involvement.
Up until now the King's key philosophy to his cancer has been to maintain his duties, preserving a busy schedule in spite of his frequent sessions of treatment, and he seems not to have wanted to be characterised by his illness.
This year has seen the Sovereign, taking several foreign visits, such as visits to Italy and Canada, and receiving the largest volume of official guests to the UK for almost 40 years, featuring the German president recently.
Friday's Special Show
This Friday's awareness show on the network, featuring presenters like Davina McCall, Adam Hills and Clare Balding, will appeal to people not to be scared of getting preventative tests.
All three have been had experience with cancer - Davina McCall revealed in November she had had an operation for breast cancer, while another presenter was diagnosed with the illness more than 15 years ago. Presenter Adam Hills has previously discussed his late father, who had a diagnosis and then later blood cancer.
The broadcast will appeal to the roughly 9m people in the UK who charities says are not compliant with national health programmes, with an digital tool to let people check if they are eligible for tests for key health indicators.
In an attempt to explain screenings and illustrate the importance of early diagnosis there will be a direct feed from cancer clinics at medical facilities in Cambridge.
"My aim is to take the fear from preventative tests and show everyone that they are not on their own in this," said a presenter.
The Landscape of National Services
Currently in the UK, there are several key publicly available checks - for bowel, breast and cervical cancer - offered to certain age groups.
A emerging preventative initiative is also being gradually implemented for people at increased risk of being diagnosed with the condition, focusing on people in a specific age bracket, who are smokers or were former smokers.
Individuals may discuss prostate cancer checks, but there is not a universal scheme operational.
Charitable Impact
The charity campaign, which has collected over one hundred million pounds for many years, is financing 73 research studies involving 13,000 patients.
The Monarch, in a message for dignitaries at a reception for support groups in April, had referred to recognising the "daunting and at times frightening reality" for those diagnosed and their families.
But he noted his personal journey of coping with cancer had revealed that "the most difficult times of sickness can be alleviated by the support of carers," as he praised those who cared for individuals with the illness.
Royal representatives has not disclosed the specific type of cancer the King has, or what treatment he has received. The King's cancer was discovered after he had received a medical treatment.