King Charles and Queen Camilla will embark on a shortened Autumn tour to Australia and Samoa next month, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The visit, which had been in question following the King’s diagnosis of cancer earlier this year, has been deliberately tailored to allow the King time to rest.
Charles and Camilla will visit the southern hemisphere between October 18 and 26, first travelling to Australia for six days before heading to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
This will be the King’s 16th visit to Australia, but his first since ascending to the throne, and the royal couple will spend three days in Sydney and Canberra.
The royal couple will arrive in Sydney on Friday October 18, before departing for Samoa the following Wednesday to attend the CHOGM.
The pair last visited Australia in 2018, when they attended the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and travelled to the Northern Territory.
This upcoming trip, though briefer in duration, will still include a number of engagements, including a barbecue with local Australians and a visit to Sydney Harbour.
Despite the King’s health issues, the itinerary remains full. On October 21, the couple will be welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has previously advocated for Australia to become a republic.
The visit will be seen as an opportunity for the King to reinforce his ties to Australia, a country with which he has maintained a long-standing relationship. Nonetheless, the trip also comes at a time of growing debate about the future of the monarchy in the country.
A previously hoped-for trip to New Zealand will not take place after the King’s doctors advised earlier this year that an extended programme should be avoided to prioritise his continued recovery from cancer.
Charles, 75, returned to public-facing duties earlier this year while still receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of the disease.
Buckingham Palace previously said when first announcing the trip: “In close consultation with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers, and with due regard for the pressures of time and logistics, it has therefore been agreed to limit the visit to Samoa and Australia only.
“Their Majesties send their warmest thanks and good wishes to all parties for their continued support and understanding.”
As part of his visit to Australia Charles will meet Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, both Australians of the Year, and will hear about their work to help those affected by melanoma, one of Australia’s most common cancers.
Charles will also address a reception attended by political and community leaders, and prominent Australians who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in a variety of fields, including health, arts, culture and sports.
During their busy visit, Charles and Camilla will conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbour and Charles will also visit CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, meeting firefighters and learning more about the centre’s work to combat the bush fires which devastate millions of hectares of Australian land each year.
The King and Queen will later receive a formal welcome to Samoa, in the form of an ‘Ava Fa’atupu ceremony, before meeting Samoans at an engagement to highlight aspects of Samoan traditions and culture.
During his visit to Samoa, the King will also visit both a mangrove forest and a National Park, witnessing the work which is carried out by local communities to restore and protect the ecosystems.
He will also plant a tree in Samoa’s Botanical Garden, marking the opening of a new area within the site, which will be called “The King’s Garden”.
The CHOGM in Samoa will bring together delegations from 56 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. The overall theme of this year’s meeting is: “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming Our Common Wealth”.
