King Charles’ Australia Tour Remains Uncertain Amid Cancer Treatment
By Favour Adegoke on April 5, 2024 at 1:00 PM EDT
New reports have revealed that King Charles' rumored Australia visit is uncertain as he's currently undergoing cancer treatment. Charles has been adapting his schedule to his treatment and reducing the numbers at Royal events.
According to the King's nephew, Charles is very eager to return to normal and is "hugely frustrated." The King has already made his first major public appearance since announcing his cancer diagnosis by attending church on Easter and doing a surprise walkabout.
King Charles' Visit To Australia Is Uncertain
Last month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke about a possible visit from King Charles later in the year. Since then, there have been many rumors about the trip, and new reports have revealed that it is highly uncertain.
A Royal source spoke to People Magazine and said that nothing is certain about planning for future royal engagements. This is reportedly subject to medical advice from the King's doctors, as he's currently undergoing treatment for cancer. There may also be adaptations to the proposed engagements as the treatment goes on, which means overseas visits are unclear.
Prior to the confirmation of his cancer diagnosis, Charles was expected to make the Australia trip around the same time as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The meeting is scheduled to be held in Samoa and begin on October 24.
He's Adapting His Work Schedule To His Treatment
During Albanese's speech last month, he spoke about how Charles has been empathetic to Australians amid recent natural disasters, which he has reciprocated after his cancer diagnosis.
He added, "The King, Queen, and members of the royal family are always welcome in Australia. My government is engaging with states and territories on options for a possible royal visit."
Since the confirmation of Charles's cancer in early February, he's significantly reduced his workload and is doing more behind-the-scenes action. His royal engagements have been reduced to smaller numbers of people, and he has missed public events.
However, the royal source claims that larger events could be held in an outdoor setting as summer approaches when there's a lesser risk of airborne illnesses. This includes Trooping The Colour, the annual public celebration of the British monarch's birthday, which will be held on June 15.
King Charles Is Eager To Return To Normal
The Royal source also revealed that despite his ill health, Charles' "appetite for work" has remained "wholly undiminished." Another person in the inner royal circle, Charles' nephew, Peter Phillips, recently shared that the King is "very keen to get back to a form of normality."
During an appearance on Sky News Australia's TheRoyal Report, he said, "I think, ultimately, he's hugely frustrated. He's frustrated that he can't get on and do everything that he wants to be able to do. But he is very pragmatic, [and] he understands that there's a period of time that he really needs to focus on himself."
Regarding his health, the Royal source claims that Charles is "progressing well" in his cancer treatment. They added that the doctors have "amplified confidence" and remain optimistic about his recovery.
He Made A Public Appearance For Easter
Despite his ill health, Charles recently made his first major public appearance since announcing his diagnosis. The monarch attended church for Easter celebrations with a few members of the royal family. After the service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, he and Queen Camilla had a surprise walkabout.
The DailyMail shared a video on X of people greeting the King and Queen as the two had their walkabout, and it quickly went viral. In it, a woman told Charles, "Get well soon, Your Majesty," and he replied, "I'm doing my best!"
Charles has made several changes to his public appearance routine, including significantly reducing the number of people he interacts with. He and Camilla sat apart from the other royals at the service and didn't attend any reception or private family lunch afterward.
Buckingham Palace Shared Photos Of The King Back At Work
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On March 6, Charles officially returned to work. Buckingham Palace released photos of the monarch greeting ambassadors with a cheery demeanor.
In photos shared online, the 75-year-old King had a broad smile as he shook hands with Algeria's Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Nourredine Yazid, and Samba Mamadou, the ambassador of Mauritania.
The palace captioned the photo: "The King received Ambassadors from Algeria and Mauritania at Buckingham Palace earlier today. Mr. Nourredine Yazid and Mr. Samba Mamadou Ba presented their 'letters of credence' to His Majesty - formal letters from their Heads of State which mark the beginning of their posts in the UK."
There were other meetings that the monarch attended today besides his private audience with the ambassadors.
In an earlier photo shared, King Charles can be seen speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a video conference at Buckingham Palace. The image was captioned, "This afternoon, His Majesty The King had an audience with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, via video link."