King Charles discusses cancer battle in private chat with veteran

King Charles and Queen Camilla had an emotional moment during the VJ Day ceremony.

At the event on August 15, 2025, Captain Yavar Abbas, from the 11th Sikh Regiment, went off script during a live broadcast to the nation to salute King Charles.

He told the nation, “Apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King. Who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he is undergoing treatment for cancer.”

Adding, “I salute him for attending this occasion. By his presence here he has gone a long way to make sure that his Grandad’s 14th army is never given the sobriquet of the forgotten army.”

This moment brought the King and the Queen in tears.

Now, talking to The Mirror, the 105-year-old veteran revealed that Charles came to sit with him at lunch.

Mr Abbas stated, “The King said to me: ‘You know when you said that, I had tears in my eyes. I'm very grateful to you,' and then we talked about our cancers, very intimate talks.”

“My memoirs will now of course have a chapter about my meeting with the King and the intimate talk that he had with me at lunch, with all my family there,” he added.

He went on to add, “There was a special table reserved for me and my family and he came to our table.”

“He sat down as if he was part of my family. He talked to my two sons and their wives, and my daughter and granddaughter, they were all there. He was especially attentive to my wife, Noor, who was thrilled. She's been absolutely wonderful, she is very much a part of my story,” the veteran added.

Speaking of King Charles’ cancer battle, the veteran said, “I told the King about my treatment and he was interested in that, but we couldn't take the conversation further because it would have been too intimate.”

“That's why I'm so sympathetic towards him...I don't know how he's coping with it,” he said of King Charles, who has been carrying his royal duties with the health struggles.

“They don't use it here. I had to go to India to have this operation, which is called HIFU, High Intensity Ultra Focus. What they do is it's a kind of a very special cauterisation.”

“I mean, the proof is there, my cancer has gone. I was planning to go to the palace and tell him about this treatment but I am hoping the King will read it here,” the veteran added.