Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will have his weekly audience with the King by telephone following Charles III’s cancer diagnosis, Downing Street has confirmed.
Number 10 took the unusual step of revealing details about the public, following an agreement with Buckingham Palace to make the information public this afternoon.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘We do not generally do that and we are not going to make a habit of commenting on the Prime Minister’s conversations with the King.
“But in this specific case we have agreed with the Palace to confirm that they will speak on the phone later.”
The King’s cancer treatment began on an outpatient basis earlier this week and he returned to his Sandringham home in Norfolk yesterday with Queen Camilla after seeing his son Prince Harry, who flew back to Britain from California.
It comes as Prince William today returned to his royal duties and is now the monarchy’s most prominent public figure after the King’s diagnosis was revealed on Monday.
Previously, Mr Sunak told the House of Commons: “I know that the thoughts of the house and the country are with the king and his family. We wish His Majesty a speedy recovery and look forward to him resuming his public duties in due course.”
King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London in October 2022, where he invited him to become Prime Minister and form a new government
Charles has postponed all public duties, but continues to work behind the scenes on his red boxes of government papers.
As heir apparent, William will be the leading member of the royal family at official events across the country for some time while his father receives treatment.
William started his working day today by hosting an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, presenting awards such as CBEs, OBEs and MBEs to the recipients, and tonight he will attend a gala fundraising dinner in central London for London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
The prince may step in to represent his father at an event, but no appointments are currently scheduled and the royal palaces will make arrangements if necessary.
William’s wife Kate Middleton left hospital last Monday and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to be reunited with her three children after undergoing planned abdominal surgery at the London Clinic on January 16.
The prince, 41, took time off work to support his family and planned to return once Kate’s care and recovery had been arranged, but the 42-year-old future queen is not expected to return to her official duties until after Easter tasks will resume.
King Charles III arrives with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for a reception at Buckingham Palace in London to mark the Global Investment Summit 2023 on November 27 last year
William last hosted a major royal event just over three weeks ago when he traveled to Leeds to make former Leeds Rhinos teammates Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield each a CBE for raising money and awareness for motor neurone disease.
At the same private hospital that cared for Kate, the king received treatment for an enlarged prostate and was discharged the same day as his daughter-in-law, but on Monday evening Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with a ‘form of cancer’. ‘.
The king is a constitutional monarch who must remain politically neutral.
He holds regular audiences with the Prime Minister, usually on Wednesdays at Buckingham Palace, which is expected to continue even if done remotely.
Charles will also continue to receive and review important documents in the red box used by the monarch and government ministers.
The king is also expected to remain available for meetings of the Privy Council, which typically meets once a month.
This is the oldest form of legislative assembly still functioning in Britain and is responsible for a number of executive responsibilities.
At each meeting, the Council obtains formal approval from the King for decisions that have already been discussed and approved by the ministers.
He also approves proclamations through the Council, formal notifications on issues such as the convening of a new parliament, coinage, and the dates of certain holidays.
King Charles III greets Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a reception at Buckingham Palace in London ahead of the Cop27 summit on November 4, 2022
The King’s role in the general election will be central as Mr Sunak has hinted he will send the country to the polls to elect a new government in Westminster in the second half of this year.
The monarch dissolves parliament before a general election.
The day after the vote, it is his duty to invite the leader of the party that won the most seats in the House of Commons to become prime minister and form a government – one of the sovereign’s few remaining personal prerogatives.
It was one of Queen Elizabeth II’s last duties, just two days before she died, when she appointed Liz Truss as Prime Minister at Balmoral Castle.
It was the first time that Elizabeth II, who had mobility problems, carried out the main duties in her Scottish retreat rather than at Buckingham Palace.
Another official parliamentary role of the king is to agree to bills passed by parliament on the advice of ministers.
Legislation must be signed by him to become law. Royal assent has not been refused since 1707.
It is also a long-standing convention that the monarch be asked for permission to discuss bills that would affect the prerogative or interests of the Crown.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they leave Clarence House by car yesterday
The King also opens Parliament during the annual State Opening Ceremony and sets out the government’s agenda in the King’s Speech.
Charles’s first State Opening of Parliament as king took place in November, although he delivered the final Queen’s Speech during the reign of Elizabeth II in his mother’s place in 2022 after she quit due to health problems.
Traditionally, the Lord Chancellor reads the speech on behalf of the sovereign when he is unavailable.
He can convene new parliaments on the advice of the government and open and close any session of parliament, or prorogue. The King also receives heads of state who visit Great Britain.