Emotional Turmoil: Queen Camilla's Friends 'Never Saw Her So Worried' After King Charles' Cancer Revelation
Queen Camilla was just as shocked as everyone else when King Charles III's cancer diagnosis was revealed on February 5. In the days and weeks that followed, and just like millions of other spouses, Her Majesty went through an emotional roller coaster.
"In private, people had never seen her so worried," a friend of the Queen told an outlet. "Forget who they are for a second. Look at it from a human level. Her beloved husband was facing a very serious condition. The battle of his life. It was hugely tough."
Her Majesty turned 77 on Wednesday, July 17, and has had quite a year so far as she dealt with the blow of her husband and stepdaughter-in-law, Kate, Princess of Wales' health scares. This also led the consort to "come into her own" due to major absences in the senior royal roster. This was not only in her increased workload of royal duties alongside her stepson, Prince William, but her mental well-being too.
"The public had no idea what she was going through," another pal of Her Majesty spilled. "She was speaking to patients, survivors, and even the families of those who had lost their lives to this awful disease in front of the cameras. And she didn’t even blink. That takes serious guts."
A source even stepped forward to share how the Queen made sure to internalize her "dreadful emotions" when around the King. "Concerned, of course, but it was a pretty standard procedure and there was actually quite a bit of laughter at his bedside," they stated when referencing His Majesty's stay in a hospital at the time of diagnosis.
The monarch went in only to correct a prostate issue, which led to the discovery of cancer after cells were tested. In the wake of the King and Kate's prolonged absences, the "unlikely" pairing of stepmother and stepson led to a newfound appreciation between Camilla and William as both learned to cope with "the gravest news of all" with their spouses.
"William, I believe, has seen the value of Queen Camilla, especially at a time like this when she has been stalwart in supporting King Charles not only at home but also dramatically increasing the public engagements she has attended," royal expert Ian Pelham Turner shared.
As for Her Majesty, duty goes on.
"A cancer diagnosis is about as stark and realistic as it gets in life, and as millions of other spouses across the world can attest to in this situation, becoming an emotional wreck is part of it," a palace insider shared about the Queen. "Thankfully, His Majesty is responding well, but in his unique and neverending role, it could be too much if he is not careful."
GBN reported on the insider revelations.