Sovereign to Broadcast Personal Statement on Illness in Television Programme
His Majesty has filmed a first-hand account concerning his battle with cancer, scheduled for transmission as part of this year's Stand Up To Cancer drive, spearheaded by a leading cancer charity and Channel 4.
Official sources confirmed the King would reflect on his "healing process" as a cancer patient, in a televised statement on Friday at 8pm UK time.
The message, taped inside Clarence House recently, will highlight the vital significance of cancer screening checks to ensure more people catch the condition at an initial point.
This constitutes a uncommon insight on the health of the Monarch, who has been in a course of therapy since revealing his diagnosis in early last year. Analysts suggest improbable the King will disclose his particular diagnosis.
Fundraising Core Mission
The Stand Up To Cancer campaign each year collects money for medical research and patient care and urges people to get screenings to increase the odds of an timely detection.
The King's public discussion about his health challenge, and his experience as a patient, has been intended to raise awareness and to encourage more people to get tested - and this will be escalated with this exceptional direct participation.
Up until now the King's primary strategy to his cancer has been to continue his schedule, maintaining a hectic timetable alongside his regular rounds of care, and he appears not to have wanted to be characterised by his condition.
This year has seen the Sovereign, undertaking several international tours, including to Italy and Canada, and hosting the biggest number of official guests to the UK for decades, featuring the German president in recent days.
The Televised Broadcast Event
The upcoming charity broadcast on the network, presented by presenters like a team of famous hosts, will appeal to people not to be scared of getting cancer checks.
The hosts have been personally touched by cancer - Davina McCall revealed in November she had had an operation for breast cancer, while Clare Balding was treated for thyroid cancer over a decade ago. Host Hills has previously spoken about his late father, who had a diagnosis and then later leukaemia.
The broadcast will reach out to the approximate 9m people in the UK who health organisations estimate are not up to date with national health programmes, with an website to let people check if they are able for tests for key health indicators.
In an bid to clarify health tests and illustrate the value of prompt detection there will be a real-time transmission from treatment centres at Addenbrooke's and Royal Papworth hospitals in Cambridge.
"The goal is to take the fear from preventative tests and demonstrate the public that they are not alone in this," said one of the hosts.
The Landscape of Health Checks
At present in the UK, there are a number of NHS cancer screening programmes - for bowel, breast and cervical cancer - available to specific demographics.
A recently launched preventative initiative is also being slowly rolled out for anyone at high risk of being diagnosed with the illness, focusing on people aged 55-74 years old, who have a smoking history or have smoked in the past.
Men may enquire about prostate screenings, but there is no national programme operational.
Ongoing Efforts
The fundraising campaign, which has raised £113m since 2012, is financing 73 clinical trials involving many patients.
The Monarch, in a statement for attendees at a gathering for related organisations in April, had referred to recognising the "intimidating and at times alarming reality" for cancer sufferers and their loved ones.
But he stated his first-hand encounter of living with cancer had demonstrated that "the most difficult times of illness can be illuminated by the support of carers," as he commended those who supported cancer patients.
Official sources has not disclosed the nature of cancer the King has, or the therapies he has been given. The King's cancer was identified subsequent to he had undergone a medical treatment.
