HANDSREINS TO WILLIAM

ROYAL EXPERTS HAIL 'QUASI KING'

After doctors discovered cancer during King Charles recent prostate procedure, Buckingham Palace urged a stunned public to be aware but not alarmed, insisting the monarch's prognosis is good.

Still, royal insiders and experts agree there's no denying he must step back from royal duties to undergo immediate medical intervention - meaning conversations surrounding a potential abdication are reaching fever pitch.

Indeed, the Prince of Wales is now required to leave his ailing wife's bedside to step into his father's public duties, prompting Sunrise royal editor Robert Jobson to label him a "quasi-king".