What happens while King Charles is being treated for cancer? 

Welcome to Tuesday’s Early Edition from i.

In mid-January, two royal health announcements sent speculation on the wellbeing of Kate Middleton and King Charles into overdrive. That swell calmed down as the Princess of Wales returned home after abdominal surgery – making “good progress”, and as King Charles emerged from the London Clinic to wave at well-wishers. He was later pictured attending church in Sandringham, walking at his “usual brisk pace”, and with royal fans reporting that the monarch appeared fit and well. But now, less than 18 months after he ascended the throne, Buckingham Palace put out a shock announcement that King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer. The Palace has not specified what kind of cancer he has, but said the King remains “wholly positive about his treatment- and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”. King Charles called both his sons to tell them the news. Prince Harry will travel to visit his father in the coming days, while William will step up to carry out some duties on his behalf. We’ll take a look at what we know, and some of the questions it raises, after the headlines.

 Today’s news, and why it matters

 Brexit has made a referendum on Irish reunification more likely in the short term – but could eventually keep Northern Ireland in the UK, experts have said. After the deal to restore power sharing in the region last week, Sinn Féin’s new First Minister Michelle O’Neill claimed a border poll could be held within the next decade.

The UK will continue to bomb the Houthis “as long as it takes” to convince the militants to stop their attacks on the Red Sea, ministers and Government officials have warned. But Britain has ruled out joining any escalation of the current conflict such as a confrontation with Iran or other groups of fighters in the Middle East, i understands.

Number 10 has ruled out raising the pension age to 71 following research warning the age would have to increase by 2050 for middle aged-workers in the UK. Experts said raising the pension age could push more people into poverty. The report has also renewed calls to reform the Triple Lock mechanism before raising the pension age.

A Conservative MP has told her constituents to stop flushing their toilets, taking baths and using their washing machines during “heavy downpours” to prevent sewage spills. According to a leaflet Flick Drummond sent to her Meon Valley constituents, which i has seen, people “need to be more sensible” with their water use during storms “to help with the capacity in our sewers”.

A vet has said that many in his profession are “fed up” with having to euthanise healthy XL Bully dogs, with some “refusing point blank” following the introduction of a ban on the breed. Dr Fabian Rivers, a British Veterinary Association Young Vet of the Year, said: “It is not our job to put healthy animals to sleep, and it is not in our code of conduct.”

Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi may be dead, police believe. Officers searching for the 35-year-old say he was last seen near Southwark Bridge on Wednesday night, and there has been no trace of him for more than 100 hours.

Three questions on what happens while King Charles undergoes cancer treatment:

What roles will he continue during his treatment? King Charles is known for being a workaholic. “The man never stops. I mean when we were kids there was bags and bags and bags of work that the office just sent to him. We could barely even get to his desk to say goodnight to him,” Prince William previously said in a documentary to mark his 70th birthday. As he undergoes treatment King Charles is expected to continue dealing with state business and official papers, and continue to uphold roles such as giving royal assent to bills. He will also hold his weekly audience with the Prime Minister, and monthly Privy Council meetings. Those can both be done remotely. However it is not yet clear whether he will attend upcoming engagements, including the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in June. King Charles and Queen Camilla were also expected to tour Canada in May, and then Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in October. On Tuesday the Australian Monarchist League said the trip was “relatively locked-in”. The league’s chairman, Eric Abetz, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “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. But now we will have to wait and see what the medical advice is as to whether the king is able to go”. Buckingham Palace said: “Regrettably, a number of the King’s forthcoming public engagements will have to be rearranged or postponed. His Majesty would like to apologise to all those who may be disappointed or inconvenienced as a consequence.”

What duties might other royals take on? In January, Prince William had stepped back from public duties to care for his wife and their three children after Kate Middleton underwent abdominal surgery. But he will now return to royal work and is likely to take on some public duties on behalf of the King. Other royals may also be called on to be the public face of the Royal Family and to give a sense of continuity and stability. However there are not thought to be any current plans to appoint Counsellors of State – members of the Royal Family who step in when a monarch cannot conduct necessary state business because of illness or absence overseas. Such occurrences are rare in the history of the monarchy. The 1937 Regency Act was introduced in case the-then King, George VI, was incapacitated (as heiress Princess Elizabeth was only 10 at the time). In September 1951 when George was ill with lung cancer, power was temporarily delegated to his Counsellors of State. The second time a monarch had Counsellors of State appointed during their illness was in 2022, when Prince Charles and William attended the state opening of Parliament instead of Queen Elizabeth II. Recently, however, there have been changes to who can act in their role as a Counsellor of State. Only working royals can step up, which means Princes Andrew and Harry are exempt from duties. Only Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward can act as substitutes. Read more about who can stand in for King Charles, here.

Will his revelation prompt more people to get checks? Julian Payne, who was communications secretary to Charles and Camilla from 2016 to 2021, told the BBC that when the King revealed he had prostate cancer, “NHS inquiries went up by over 1,000%”. Mr Payne said he believed King Charles would hope that by announcing his latest health update he would help create more awareness. “He’ll be thinking, ‘well, if I talk about the fact that I’ve got to undergo cancer treatment, perhaps this is going to encourage people at home to have conversations tonight,” he told BBC Newshour. As Oliver Duff writes: “Every day in the UK, about 1,000 people find out they have cancer, and the news is normally frightening for them and their families. That much is true regardless of wealth or status. Hopefully the King’s decision to reveal his diagnosis will shine a spotlight on UK cancer treatment.” Read his full piece here.

Around the world

 At least 21 women are believed to have been killed by men in Kenya in the first month of 2024, as the country grapples with a disturbing wave of deadly violence. “They are just the women who have been reported,” Rachael Mwikali Mueni, founder of Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya, told i.

Israeli air strikes have been reported in Rafah ahead of an anticipated ground assault on the southern city where the majority of the population of Gaza has sought shelter, with humanitarian groups warning of unprecedented civilian casualties if it goes ahead. Dozens of Palestinians were reportedly killed in Rafah over the weekend, with one strike hitting a kindergarten.

Nikki Haley, the last remaining serious challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, has formally requested Secret Service protection. The White House hopeful told the Wall Street Journal additional security was needed because of “multiple issues”.

Australia is home to a disproportionate number of deadly shark attacks, international research has found. Surfers were slightly more prevalent in the data than people swimming or wading, experiencing 42% of the 69 “unprovoked” bites around the world, 22% of which were in Australia.

Three computer science students have won the biggest cash prize in archaeology for using AI to reveal the contents of a scroll from ancient Rome. The charred papyrus was rendered unreadable when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

 Watch out for…

 Liz Truss, who is set to launch a new movement aimed at rallying right-wing Tory MPs. Her ‘Pop Cons’ group is hoping to mobilise ‘thousands’ of Tory activists.  

 Thoughts for the day

 Keir Starmer has forgotten the lessons of the banking crash. Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it, writes Andrew Fisher.

Gen Z are terrified of answering the phone – they’re missing out. These days, an impromptu telephone call is regarded as an intrusion, says Simon Kelner.

Does every film about women need to be a feminist masterpiece? Oscar season has got everyone talking about how films frame the female condition – but why must every one be a progressive masterpiece, asks Francesca Steele.

Culture Break

 Tracy-Ann Oberman: ‘I’ve heard jaw-dropping anti-Jewish stuff in the arts’. The actor talks to Helen Brown about bringing her reframing of The Merchant of Venice – set around the Battle of Cable Street – to the West End stage.

The Big Read

 How Britain’s controversial paedophile hotline is helping stop child abuse. Rather than shunning abusers like the rest of society, StopItNow engages with those who are a risk to children, in the hope of stopping them before it’s too late. Sophie Gallagher speaks to the people on the end of the phone.

Sport

 The tiny Yorkshire club punching above its weight in League Two. Harrogate’s Simon Weaver is the longest-serving manager in English football. But then pretty much everything about them is an exception.

Something to brighten your day

 I used to skive on Fridays – working in an office has stopped me. I am surprised to find this out about myself, a bit ashamed to admit something so blatantly bootlicking, but it’s true. And now I’ve said it, so there’s no turning back, writes Sadbhb O’Sullivan.