King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa in October to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024.
During their visit to Australia, at the invitation of the government, they will engage in activities in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. However, their tour will not include a stop in New Zealand due to Charles’s ongoing cancer treatment.
Despite earlier hopes that the King would visit the island nation in the southwestern Pacific, his doctors have advised against an extended itinerary to prioritize his recovery, according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.
The palace added: “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. It’s understood that the couple’s programme will be subject to doctors’ advice, with any necessary modifications to be made on health grounds.
A full itinerary will be announced soon, but CHOGM will gather delegations from 56 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. This visit marks Charles and Camilla’s first official trip to Australia during the King’s reign.
Their last visit to Australia was in 2018, representing the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Commonwealth Games. The King resumed public duties in April while continuing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, with his diagnosis confirmed by the palace in February.
Over the past couple of months, Charles has attended numerous events, including Trooping the Colour, Garter Day, Royal Ascot, and the Japan State Visit.
