The King being forced to cancel some Royal engagements after experiencing temporary side effects to his cancer treatment leads the majority of the front pages. The Daily Express notes that Buckingham Palace has stressed it was a “bump in the road” and the monarch was forced to pull out of his engagements on Thursday.
The Daily Telegraph reports the King was initially admitted to hospital, but discharged and allowed to return home after a “short period of observation”. The paper also makes clear that the Palace has sought to play down the seriousness of the incident, with sources telling the Telegraph that his treatment is heading in the right direction.
The King had a scheduled appointment over his ongoing medical cancer care but later experienced “temporary side effects” to treatment, according to the Daily Mail. He was back at home in Clarence House by the evening and sources tell the paper the King was “working away as usual”.
The incident caused the King to cancel a visit to Birmingham on Friday, as well as his afternoon engagements with three ambassadors on Thursday, the Times reports in its lead. The paper says its own sources also indicate that it was a minor setback and a planned state visit to Italy next month is still slated to go ahead.
The Daily Mirror carries a quote from a royal source saying the King “will want to get back on the horse as soon as possible.” The paper adds that the side effects he experienced, which have not been made clear, are “not uncommon” with the treatment. It also quotes a spokesman saying the King was “greatly disappointed to be missing” the Birmingham events and they would be rescheduled.
The Sun sends its best wishes to the monarch on its front page, featuring a sub-headline saying “Get well soon, your Majesty”. The paper reports he was “floored” by his cancer treatment and was told by his doctors to cancel his work after experiencing the side effects of his medical care.
Away from the Royal health coverage, the i Paper leads with a story about the UK and other European powers sending senior military officials to Ukraine, in order to develop “operational plans” for possibly enforcing a ceasefire with Russia. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will announce that a “reassurance force” can be deployed as a security guarantee as soon as any ceasefire is agreed.
The move by the UK and France has come without US President Donald Trump’s approval, according to Metro’s front page. The paper notes that the generals will work with their Ukrainian counterparts to plan how the “coalition of the willing” proposed by Starmer and Macron will “respond to future Russian aggression and deter it” – should the plan go ahead. But it also reports that Russia has claimed the two countries want a “bloodbath in Ukraine” and are “hatching plans for a military intervention”.
A follow up on the chancellor’s Spring Statement leads the Guardian, with the paper reporting on concerns ministers may “have to target pensioners and wealthier taxpayers” in the autumn. The Guardian also reports that senior government figures are expressing concern Rachel Reeves’s welfare cuts will still not be sufficient to address rising costs.
The top story in the Financial Times is Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal may join an “exodus” of wealthy people leaving the UK over the government’s plans to crack down on “non-dom” tax status, which allowed some people to avoid paying British tax on their overseas income. The paper says the steel magnate has told associates he is considering moving away from the country he has lived in for three decades over the change, with the FT also carrying a quote from a friend of Mittal who says he is “exploring his options” and will decide this year whether to stay or go.
The Daily Star has offered some helpful advice to people concerned a major world war could break out again soon, telling its readers about official advice to “be a bog roll bandit”. The paper says world leaders have offered the “cheery” warning to also stock up on tinned food in the event of needing to “hide at home due to a catastrophe”.
The opinion column in the Express points out that at 76, the King’s recovery from cancer was “never going to be quick or easy”.
On the front of the Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer is smiling while being photographed with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukraine summit in Paris. There’s a more sombre picture of the leaders inside. The paper explains that, facing political and logistical difficulties – as well as possible US resistance – countries at the talks were “far from agreed” on whether to deploy military forces to help back Ukraine’s security if there’s a deal to end hostilities with Russia.
As UK car manufacturers prepare to meet ministers, to discuss Trump’s new 25% tariffs on car imports, the Times considers Starmer’s chances of easing the effects on Britain with a US trade deal. The paper believes the prime minister has a “weak negotiating hand”, because any tariffs the UK imposed on American imports “would simply increase the hit to the government’s finances”.
Finally, several papers focus on the Queen’s visit to ITV to mark the channel’s 70th birthday.
