King Charles and Queen Camilla had planned to visit Australia and Samoa in October, but have cancelled a planned trip to New Zealand due to health concerns as the king recovers from his cancer diagnosis.
Some British and Australian media questioned whether the trip would take place at all, in the weeks after the King’s cancer diagnosis was revealed on February 5.
The palace confirmed that Charles and Camilla will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, which will take place from October 21-25.
However, the tour will not extend to New Zealand as originally planned. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said:
“The King’s doctors have advised that such an extended programme should be avoided at this time, to prioritise His Majesty’s continued recovery.”Â
Palace spokesmen said the programmes in Australia and Samoa would depend on doctors’ advice and could be modified accordingly.
The Australian Prime Minister said he would be “honoured to welcome the King and Queen on their first royal visit to Australia later this year.”
Buckingham Palace also released new portraits of the king and queen on Sunday, showing them with Australian and New Zealand honours and decorations.
The 75-year-old king returned to state duties at the end of April, for the first time since being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. Buckingham Palace said his diary would be carefully kept to minimise any health risks.
