Sovereign to Broadcast Personal Statement on His Health Battle in Nationwide Programme

The Monarch has taped a intimate address about his battle with cancer, scheduled for transmission as part of this year's Stand Up To Cancer campaign, organised by a leading cancer charity and Channel 4.

Official sources stated the King would reflect on his "path to recovery" as a cancer patient, in a recorded address on Friday at 20:00 GMT.

The recording, recorded at a royal residence a fortnight ago, will emphasise the vital significance of cancer screening checks to increase the likelihood more people detect the illness at an treatable phase.

This represents a rare update on the health of the Monarch, who has been undergoing regular treatment since revealing his diagnosis in early last year. But it is thought unlikely the King will disclose his type of cancer.

Awareness Core Mission

The annual charity initiative each year raises funds for scientific studies and treatment and prompts people to get check-ups to increase the probability of an early diagnosis.

The King's public discussion about his condition, and his experience as a patient, has been designed to raise awareness and to encourage more people to get screened - and this will be escalated with this unusual royal involvement.

So far the King's primary strategy to his cancer has been to maintain his duties, maintaining a hectic timetable despite his frequent sessions of care, and he seems not to have desired to be characterised by his illness.

The past twelve months has seen the Sovereign, embarking on several foreign visits, including to Italy and Canada, and welcoming the highest tally of official guests to the UK for almost 40 years, which included the German president in recent days.

Charity Evening Programme

Friday evening's Stand Up to Cancer show on television, featuring celebrities such as several TV personalities, will appeal to people not to be afraid of getting preventative tests.

The hosts have been had experience with cancer - Davina McCall revealed in November she had undergone surgery for the disease, while another presenter was treated for thyroid cancer more than 15 years ago. Host Hills has previously mentioned his parent, who had stomach cancer and then later leukaemia.

The programme will appeal to the estimated 9m people in the UK who Cancer Research UK state are not compliant with public health checks, with an digital tool to let people determine if they are able for tests for several common cancers.

In an attempt to clarify health tests and demonstrate the importance of early diagnosis there will be a live broadcast from hospital departments at two Cambridge hospitals in Cambridge.

"The goal is to remove the anxiety from cancer screening and show everyone that they are not on their own in this," said a presenter.

The Landscape of Health Checks

Right now in the UK, there are a number of publicly available checks - for specific cancers - offered to certain age groups.

A emerging preventative initiative is also being slowly rolled out for anyone at high risk of contracting the illness, focusing on people of a certain age, who have a smoking history or were former smokers.

Men may enquire about specific tests, but there is not a universal scheme operational.

Ongoing Efforts

The charity initiative, which has collected £113m over the past decade, is financing 73 medical projects with 13,000 patients.

The Monarch, in a message for guests at a reception for support groups in earlier this year, had spoken of acknowledging the "overwhelming and at times alarming situation" for cancer sufferers and their families.

But he noted his personal journey of managing cancer had revealed that "the most difficult times of illness can be alleviated by the support of carers," as he commended those who looked after individuals with the illness.

Royal representatives has not revealed the specific type of cancer the King has, or the therapies he has undergone. The King's cancer was detected subsequent to he had undergone a prostate procedure.