The Metropolitan Police said his body was formally identified on Thursday and that his family has been informed of this development. The force also said that a post-mortem has confirmed his cause of death as drowning.

“As the public would expect, our enquiries continue into this atrocious attack,” said Commander Jon Savell. “The 31-year-old woman is still in hospital and remains in a stable condition and no longer sedated. We have still not been able to speak to her but hope to as soon as she is well enough.”

Police launched a nationwide manhunt for Ezedi after the attack in the Clapham area of south London on Jan. 31 that saw the mother-of-two doused with a corrosive alkali. Some of the chemical injured her 8-year-old daughter, while the 3-year-old had her head slammed into the ground.

Images of Ezedi soon after showed he had significant injuries to the right side of his face, but his whereabouts were unknown. On Feb. 9, the Met said they believed Ezedi had probably “gone into the water” after piecing together closed-circuit television footage of his movements after the attack.

The Met said the crew of a passing boat reported seeing a body in the water near the Tower of London on Monday afternoon and that they believed it was Ezedi.

British media reported that Ezedi is an Afghan refugee who was granted asylum despite being convicted of a sex offense in Britain in 2018. His asylum application was initially rejected, but he later was permitted to remain in the U.K. after claiming that he had converted to Christianity, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

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William performed an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle and is attending a fundraising dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity on Wednesday evening.

The 41-year-old heir to the throne temporarily stepped away from public duties last month to help care for Kate and their children following her operation for an undisclosed condition. The Princess of Wales, formerly Kate Middleton, isn’t expected to resume public duties until April.

But Charles’ cancer diagnosis earlier this week is putting extra pressure on the royal family, with the king suspending his own public appearances to focus on treatment and recovery. While receiving treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, Charles will continue with behind-the-scenes work such as reviewing and signing state papers.

“His absence is putting a lot of pressure on the other members of the royal family, who are certainly up to it,” said Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life.” “And having one of the great stars of the royal family, the Princess of Wales, in recuperation from a surgery” magnifies those strains.

Charles’ illness comes at an awkward time for the House of Windsor.

The king, who ascended the throne just 17 months ago, has pledged to reduce the cost of the monarchy, in part by keeping a lid on the number of “working royals” whose public duties are supported by taxpayer funds.

But with two of the most visible family members out sick, it will be more challenging for the family to keep up.

In addition to the widely publicized pomp and ceremony of royal processions and state visits, the Windsors attend hundreds of little known events every year to recognize the accomplishments of average people and mark local events such as the opening of libraries and community centers. Hundreds of charities cherish royal appearances, which give their good works visibility and credibility among potential donors.

The 75-year-old king was seen in public for the first time since his cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, when he left his offices at Clarence House after a brief reunion with his younger son, Prince Harry.

Harry arrived in London from California less than 24 hours after Buckingham Palace announced the king’s cancer diagnosis. The meeting has raised hopes that the pair can repair their troubled relationship after Harry publicly criticized the royal family for unconscious racism and complained about the way his American biracial wife, former actor Meghan Markle, was treated by palace officials.

Harry and Meghan, once seen as stars of the royal family who could help the Windsors connect with a younger generation, walked away from royal duties in 2020 and now live in California.

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The legally binding final ruling is the first of two expected decisions from the International Court of Justice linked to the decadelong conflict between Russia and Ukraine that exploded into a full-blown war almost two years ago.

The case, filed in 2017, accuses Russia of breaching conventions against discrimination and the financing of terrorism. Ukraine wants the court to order Moscow to pay reparations for attacks and crimes in the country’s east, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Russia-backed rebels shot down the plane on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. Russia denies involvement. A Dutch domestic court convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian in November 2022 for their roles in the attack and sentenced them in their absence to life imprisonment. The Netherlands and Ukraine also have sued Russia at the European Court of Human Rights over MH17.

At hearings last year, a lawyer for Ukraine, David Zionts, said the pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine “attacked civilians as part of a campaign of intimidation and terror. Russian money and weapons fueled this campaign.”

Another lawyer for Ukraine, Harold Koh, said that in the Crimean Peninsula, Russia “sought to replace the multiethnic community that had characterized Crimea before Russia’s intervention with discriminatory Russian nationalism.”

Lawyers for Russia urged the world court to throw out the case, arguing that the actions of pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine did not amount to terrorism.

The court is expected to rule Friday on Russia’s objections to its jurisdiction in another case filed by Ukraine shortly after Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24, 2022. It alleges that Moscow launched its attack based on trumped-up genocide allegations. The court already has issued an interim order for Russia to halt the invasion, which Moscow has flouted.

The International Court of Justice in recent weeks also heard a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Judges issued provisional measures last week calling on Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in the conflict.

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The substance – used to produce detergents and household cleaning materials – was released when a truck crashed, triggering a local state of emergency.

A treatment station was closed on Monday morning to prevent the intake of contaminated water – potentially affecting dozens of neighbourhoods’ access to drinking water.

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