Prince William is attempting to “draw a line under the past” with his plan to cut off rent-free royals when he takes the throne, according to royal experts.
William is reportedly considering barring royal properties from being sublet as well as stopping non-working royals from enjoying rent-free accommodation.
A source close to the Prince of Wales told The Sunday Times he wants to “do things differently” in the wake of a National Audit Office (NAO) report into royal property arrangements which has provoked fresh public outrage.
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Caption: EMBARGOED TO 1300 SUNDAY MAY 31
File photo dated 18/01/23 of a general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London. A once-daily pill helped almost double survival time for patients with an aggressive and advanced form of pancreatic cancer when compared to chemotherapy, a trial has found. The drug also caused fewer side-effects, with experts hailing daraxonrasib as “landscape -changing” for people with the disease. Issue date: Sunday May 31, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jeff Moore/PA Wire
Photographer: Jeff Moore
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Source: PA
HEALTH
How weight-loss jabs could help reduce cancer risk
Experts have urged GLP-1s be examined for use as potential “cancer prevention agents” after a new study linked the medication to a reduced risk of obesity-linked cancers.
What you need to know
A new study published in the Annals of Oncology found there was a greatly reduced risk of obesity-associated cancer with GLP-1 use.
It examined data from more than 161,000 patients who were obese, did not have diabetes and had not been diagnosed with an obesity-related cancer.
Half the group were given weight-loss injections, while the other half were given consultation on diet and exercise.
Study co-author Professor Pedro Ramirez said the findings “provide early evidence that deserves further study in long-term clinical trials”.
The story in numbers
Cancer risk greatly reduced
by weight-loss jabs
41%
The study found the overall cancer risk for those who took GLP-1s was reduced by 41 per cent.
70%
Among certain subgroups, the cancer risk was reduced by even more. For men, the risk dropped by nearly 70 per cent.
Experts urge further investigation
For policymakers and other researchers, our study is a clear signal that GLP-1 RAs deserve serious investigation as cancer prevention agents, particularly as obesity-related cancers increasingly affect adults in their forties and fifties.
dr aparna kamat, senior author of the study
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TRUMP’S AMERICA
The death of cool America – and the cringe that killed it
We were all, at some point, captivated by the American dream. No longer.
There’s no accounting for taste
US President Donald Trump has single-handedly made America decidedly uncool. Gone are the days of envy at the “American Dream”.
Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 26: Construction continues for the upcoming UFC match on the South Lawn of the White House on May 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is hosting a UFC match on the White House grounds in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
Caption: NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 27: Hulk Hogan takes the stage during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. Trump closed out his weekend of campaigning in New York City with a guest list of speakers that includes his running mate Republican Vice Presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Tesla CEO Elon Musk, UFC CEO Dana White, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, among others, nine days before Election Day. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX***
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In the latest spectacle, on Sunday, UFC cage fighting will take place on the lawn of the White House in a bombastic and bizarre celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
How cringe killed cool
When culture becomes a vehicle for brand dominance and political posturing rather than genuine expression, the rest of the world notices. Cool has always been about freedom and edge, and that has been lost in America.
Dan Wakeford, former us magazine editor-in-chief
Donald Trump will have a major part to play in people’s mortgage bills (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
America losing its grip
Polling shows many outside of the US think it has lost its cultural dominance.
A March YouGov poll found that 68 per cent of Brits see the US as having a mostly or entirely negative impact on the world.
Another found that the majority of adults in the nine countries surveyed deemed America to have too much or a significant influence on national culture.
In the UK, 83 per cent said they felt that way about America’s effect on film.
WORLD
6 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
Children who sleep badly more likely to have teenage depression, study finds
A new study has made the connection between persistent poor sleep as a baby and child, and instances of depression in adolescence.
“Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but naming your child is the first significant thing you do for them after they’re born” (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images)
What you need to know
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Source: Moment RF
Researchers examined data from more than 15,000 children taking part in the Children Of the 90s study
It compared sleep data from six months to seven years old with depression symptoms between 12 and 22.
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Woman sitting on the bed on her back with a depressive and tired attitude. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The study found those who had “persistent” poor sleep were almost twice as likely to report high levels of depression as a teen.
What should you do?
Chronic poor sleep may contribute to long-term mental health difficulties.
Study lead Dr Isabel Morales-Munoz, from the University of Birmingham, said sleep can be improved.
She added: “efforts to address persistent poor sleep during childhood will have a host of benefits including addressing any potential mental health risks”.
Funny face of child sleeping on king bed – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
WORLD CUP
England fans less patriotic than rivals
England fans dressed as three lions in Qatar (Photo: Martin Rickett/ PA)
Despite being one of the favourites to win the tournament, World Cup betting data shows England trails other teams for backing its home nation.
The story in numbers
Punters lack faith in the Three Lions
20%
Only one-in-five (20 per cent) domestic bets have backed England to win, according to data from Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain.
9%
Scottish fans have shown even less confidence at the bookies, with just 9 per cent backing the home team.
The odds of them winning are 300/1.
A closer look at the detail
Conversely, Portugal has the most loyal betters with 57 per cent of domestic slips placed on the team.
The betting stakes shows Spain is most-backed team overall, followed by France.
England and Portugal are level at third.
“England fans are passionate, but years of near misses have made them think beyond their own country,” said Tom Ritzema, group trading director at Entain.
FOOTBALL
3 min read
It has emerged that the King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been able to earn rental income, estimated to be as much as £180,000 a year, from renting out cottages at the Royal Lodge estate despite only paying a “peppercorn” rate for his own 30-room mansion.
His daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, have also been able to live rent-free in their respective homes within royal palaces for more than 15 years, with the cost met directly from the Privy Purse – the monarch’s private income derived from his Duchy of Lancaster estate.
Prince William and his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2025. The Prince of Wales plans to plan to cut off rent-free royals when he takes the throne (Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty)
The Princesses, who are both non-working royals, have spent recent months being buffeted by the fallout from their parents’ disgrace in the wake of the stream of revelations related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The ex-duke of York has retreated to the residence on the Sandringham Estate provided to him by his brother while his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, is keeping a low profile abroad.
The former Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker said it was “outrageous” that Andrew had been able to gain rental income while at Windsor.
He should now “pay the money back to the Crown Estate”, even if he complied with the terms of the lease said Baker, author of Royal Mint: National Debt.
‘This sort of thing was expected from William’
While it is unclear if King Charles will take any further action immediately, his son appears to be keen to “set his stall out early” for his future reign, said royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.
“He [Prince William] is doing it as tactfully as possible,” he told The i Paper.
“The National Audit Office report got a lot of publicity, but no one had actually done anything wrong, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who was entitled under the lease to let those properties.
“The problem, that I think William is attempting to deal with, is a lot of these things began 20 or 30 years ago or even more, and this is the way things were handled.
“Remember that each monarch inhabits or inherits the throne at a different time and the optics, during those various periods, obviously alter as society changes.”
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice have been able to live rent-free in their respective homes within royal palaces for more than 15 years (Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty for Ascot Racecourse)
“What was acceptable X years ago, or done X years ago, can’t be done now or shouldn’t be done now.
“William clearly wants to emphasise that things will alter when he is king, conscious of the fact that a lot is coming to light now which isn’t appropriate in our time.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales have also made public some of their own living arrangements.
The couple pay £307,500 a year in rent on their Grade II listed mansion in Windsor, although the Crown Estate, the property company owned by the Royal Family, paid out almost £400,000 for renovations in 2025.
Fitzwilliams said he believes such arrangements are “what should and will happen in the future with royal properties”.
“What William is doing is drawing a line under the past and I think it’s very sensible,” he added.
Beatrice and Eugenie rent ‘a matter for the King’
Fitzwilliams added that he believes William – who has increasingly talked of the need for “change” in the British monarchy – will be looking at further reforms in the future, especially as scrutiny increases.
An inquiry into royal finances by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee is expected to present its findings in the summer.
The Princesses attended Peter Phillips’s wedding with their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, making their first appearance since it emerged the King is paying rent on their London homes (Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“We will see much more of a lot of this – but it’s far from clear how it’s going to play out,” Fitzwilliams added.
The former prince remains the subject of a wide-ranging police investigation following fresh revelations in the Epstein files. He strongly denies any wrongdoing.
With more material potentially set to enter the public domain, Fitzwilliams said it remains a question for King Charles as to whether he should take action by ending favourable treatment for Beatrice and Eugenie immediately.
He added: “They aren’t paying anything and people will think that is excessive as they are not working royals.
“But it’s up to the King if he wants to fund it, it’s entirely his right.”