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
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.