If you were walking past Buckingham Palace just before 6pm yesterday evening, you might have wondered why news crews from around the world were hastily setting up equipment and staring at their phones in anticipation.
I expected my diary to be pretty light this week and was looking forward to covering Prince William resuming public duties after The Princess of Wales' abdominal surgery.
It turns out I was wrong.
It was late afternoon when I received word that Buckingham Palace was expected to make an important announcement.
Buckingham Palace announced King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer at 6pm on Monday evening.
GB News
Nigel Farage, his producers and I all happened to be in GB News' Westminster studios.
We discussed the clear seriousness of the situation and agreed it would lead on Prime Time - it's incredibly rare for Buckingham Palace to release a statement of this magnitude.
Like many royal correspondents, I was immediately deployed to Canada Gate - the long stretch of pavement opposite the palace, used by broadcasters for live TV reports.
Although I didn’t know what the statement contained, there were strong rumours the King had been diagnosed with cancer.
I predicted His Majesty's cancer diagnosis would dominate news coverage around the world - it appears I was right.
PA
Journalists from around the world descended on Buckingham Palace.
“What’s going on?”, one member of the public asked me at about ten minutes to six.
I was stood in front of the camera, preparing myself for the imminent announcement.
I couldn’t answer him. He would find out shortly.
At exactly six o’clock, Buckingham Palace released the statement, confirming King Charles III had been diagnosed with a form of cancer.
LATEST KING CHARLES NEWS:
GBN Newsreader, Polly Middlehurst, handed to me from the studio, and I delivered the statement to our viewers and listeners.
I was incredibly conscious I had to be measured, and not over dramatic.
This was serious news, and a story I knew could be very upsetting.
Delivering the facts, and not speculating, would become my priority in the hours of rolling news coverage that followed.
I predicted His Majesty's cancer diagnosis would dominate news coverage around the world - it appears I was right.
