Rishi Sunak says he is thankful that King Charles’s cancer was ‘caught early’
The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said he is thankful that King Charles’s cancer was “caught early” as he described being left shocked and saddened by the news.
When asked how he received the news, Sunak told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Obviously, like everyone else, shocked and sad, and just all our thoughts are with him and his family. Thankfully, this has been caught early.”
He said everyone will be hoping the king “gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery”.
“That’s what we’re all hoping and praying for, and I’m of course in regular contact with him and will continue to communicate with him as normal,” Sunak added.
Sunak said his contacts with King Charles will continue “and we’ll crack on with everything”.
He added:
He’ll be in our thoughts and our prayers, many families around the country listening to this will have been touched by the same thing and they know what it means to everyone.
So we’ll just be willing him on and hopefully we can get through this as quickly as possible.
Key events
A visit to Australia by King Charles is in doubt after the monarch was diagnosed with cancer.
The king was expected to tour Australia late this year accompanied by Queen Camilla. It would have been the couple’s first visit since 2018.
The Nine newspapers reported last year that King Charles was planning to visit Australia and New Zealand in October 2024.
The royal visit was to coincide with a broader trip to the region for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Samoa.
The Australian Monarchist League said on Tuesday the trip was “relatively locked-in”.
“The palace had indicated a desire to visit Australia in association with that visit to Samoa, so it was something that many of us were looking forward to,” the league’s chairman, Eric Abetz, told ABC TV.
“But now we will have to wait and see what the medical advice is as to whether the king is able to go to Chogm let alone to Australia as well.”
You can read the full story by my colleague, Emily Wind, here:
Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Charles Anson told BBC Breakfast that the king felt “very strongly that the condition he has and the treatment for it should be known in general terms” out of a sense of public duty, but that people should not expect “daily bulletins”. The openness about the diagnosis was a “sign of the times”, he said.
He added that “the business of the country and the constitutional role of the monarch continues without really missing a beat”, with other family members able to step in when needed.
The Prince of Wales, the Queen and other working royals will step up their royal duties while the king undergoes cancer treatment.
In the event a monarch cannot undertake their duties as sovereign on a temporary basis due to illness, two or more counsellors of state can be appointed by letters patent to act in their place.
PA Media reports:
Provisions for counsellors of state are made under the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953 and those who can currently stand in for the King include Queen Camilla and the four most senior adults in the line of succession over the age of 21 – the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice.
In 2022, the king asked parliament to add his youngest brother the Duke of Edinburgh and sister the Princess Royal as extra counsellors of state so they can deputise for him if need be, and the addition was fast-tracked into law.
The legislation did add Anne and Edward to the list, but stopped short of removing Andrew and Harry. However, the House of Lords heard only “working members” of the royal family would be called upon to act as counsellors of state.
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, says he is “praying for the king and his family – for God’s comfort and strength in the weeks and months to come”.
The archbishop of Canterbury, who is in Ukraine to show solidarity with the country as it repels the full-scale Russian invasion, crowned King Charles in the Coronation ceremony last year.
I’m praying for the King and his family – for God’s comfort and strength in the weeks and months to come. I wish His Majesty a swift and full recovery.
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) February 6, 2024
Prince Harry due to arrive in the UK around midday after his car seen at LA airport – report
The Duke of Sussex has cleared his diary to fly to the UK to be with his father.
Prince Harry’s black Range Rover was pictured arriving at a private terminal at Los Angeles International Airport before he boarded a flight due to land around midday, according to the Sun.
King Charles personally called both his sons, as well as his siblings, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Duke of Edinburgh, to give them the news of the cancer diagnosis before it was publicly announced.
Here is a list of the things we know so far about King Charles’s cancer diagnosis:
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Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that the king had been diagnosed with cancer and is already receiving treatment that will prevent him from undertaking public duties for the immediate future.
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The type of cancer the king was diagnosed with has not been revealed but Buckingham Palace said it was not prostate cancer.
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The cancer was discovered when the 75-year-old monarch recently underwent treatment at the London Clinic for a benign enlarged prostate.
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The king returned to London from Sandringham on Monday morning to begin treatment as an outpatient.
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Buckingham Palace said the king “remains wholly positive about his treatment”.
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He began regular outpatient treatments on Monday, and although he has been forced to postpone public-facing engagements, he will continue with his constitutional role as head of state, including paperwork, his red boxes and private meetings.
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The king personally informed both his sons, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, of his diagnosis, as well as his three siblings, the Princess Royal, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of York.
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Prince Harry had spoken with his father about his cancer diagnosis and would be travelling to the UK to see him in the coming days, the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed.
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The king was last seen in public at Sandringham in Norfolk on Sunday, where he attended a church service with the queen, which was the first time he had been seen since he was discharged from the London Clinic.
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The Palace has called for the king’s privacy to be respected, especially during his treatment, but said he wanted to make his diagnosis public because of his long-running support for cancer charities.
Prince William ‘expected to cover’ some of the King’s duties
The Prince of Wales is set to step up to carry out some duties on behalf of his father, King Charles, while the 75-year-old monarch undergoes treatment for cancer, PA Media reports.
It is understood that Prince William, a future king and the senior royal in the line of succession, is likely to undertake some duties on behalf of the king in addition to his own diary of engagements, according to the Press Association.
Prince William, 41, stepped back temporarily from his royal role three weeks ago to juggle caring for his wife, the Princess of Wales, and their children, after Catherine’s abdominal surgery.
Kensington Palace announced earlier on Monday that the Prince of Wales would resume public duties this week by conducting an investiture on Wednesday at Windsor Castle, followed by a gala fundraising event for the London air ambulance in the evening.
It is expected that Charles will continue to be available for privy council meetings, but details of how they will take place are still being worked through.
It is also expected that alternative arrangements will be made for his weekly audience with the prime minister should doctors advise him to minimise any in-person contact.
Rishi Sunak says he is thankful that King Charles’s cancer was ‘caught early’
The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said he is thankful that King Charles’s cancer was “caught early” as he described being left shocked and saddened by the news.
When asked how he received the news, Sunak told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Obviously, like everyone else, shocked and sad, and just all our thoughts are with him and his family. Thankfully, this has been caught early.”
He said everyone will be hoping the king “gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery”.
“That’s what we’re all hoping and praying for, and I’m of course in regular contact with him and will continue to communicate with him as normal,” Sunak added.
Sunak said his contacts with King Charles will continue “and we’ll crack on with everything”.
He added:
He’ll be in our thoughts and our prayers, many families around the country listening to this will have been touched by the same thing and they know what it means to everyone.
So we’ll just be willing him on and hopefully we can get through this as quickly as possible.
Joe Biden among world leaders to wish King Charles a speedy recovery after cancer diagnosis
We are restarting our rolling coverage of the news that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer. We will be bringing you the latest updates throughout the day.
The US president, Joe Biden, was among the world leaders who wished the king a speedy recovery after it was announced that the 75-year-old monarch had been diagnosed with cancer.
He joined politicians, religious leaders and celebrities from around the world who reacted to the news by sending the king heartfelt messages in a stream of support.
The US president, whose son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, said that dealing with a cancer diagnosis takes courage.
He wrote on X:
Navigating a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship takes hope and absolute courage. [My wife] Jill and I join the people of the United Kingdom in praying that His Majesty experiences a swift and full recovery.
Biden told reporters on Monday that he was “concerned” about the king and planned to call him later.
Former US president Donald Trump wrote on social media: “He is a wonderful man, who I got to know well during my presidency, and we all pray that he has a fast and full recovery!”
The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, and former UK prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss also sent their best wishes.
Although no further details about what type of cancer the king has are being released at this stage, Buckingham Palace said it was not prostate cancer.
It was discovered when King Charles recently underwent treatment at the London Clinic for a benign enlarged prostate.
The king returned to London from Sandringham on Monday morning to begin treatment as an outpatient.