King Charles and Queen Camilla visit Australia and Samoa

CNN
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla of England plan to travel to the four corners of the world.

The royal couple will travel to Australia in October as part of a tour that will also see them visit Samoa for this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday.

The upcoming visit to Australia will be the 75-year-old British monarch’s first to a Commonwealth realm since he ascended the throne. In addition to the United Kingdom, Charles is also head of state to 14 realms, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, although his role is largely ceremonial.

Charles and Camilla are visiting the country “at the invitation of the Australian Government, where their program will include engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales,” the palace said.

He last visited Australia with his wife six years ago, when they travelled to the Gold Coast for the opening of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) are held every two years, with member states taking turns to host them. The theme of this year’s event in Samoa, Charles’ first as head of the organisation, is “A Resilient Future: Transforming Our Shared Wealth”, and will bring together delegations from all 56 member states.

“Their Majesties’ state visit to Samoa will celebrate the strong bilateral relationship between the Pacific island nation and the United Kingdom,” the palace added.

Charles, who returned to public life in April as he continues his cancer treatment, has had a busy schedule in recent months. Last month, he attended D-Day commemorations in France.

Most recently, he appointed Keir Starmer as prime minister after Labour’s landslide election victory, travelled to Scotland for “Holyrood Week” celebrating Scottish culture and visited the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff on Thursday to mark 25 years since Wales was devolved. On Monday, the royal couple will travel to the Channel Islands for a two-day visit.

Further details of the King and Queen’s tours are expected to be revealed in the coming months. However, a palace spokesperson said that, as with all of Charles’ recent engagements, “his schedule in both countries will be subject to medical advice and any necessary changes for health reasons.”

Some may be wondering why the royal couple are not travelling to New Zealand while they are in the region. The palace spokesman said the decision was made in consultation with the royal’s medical team, who advised “to avoid such a lengthy programme at this time” in order to prioritise his continued recovery.

“In close consultation with the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, and taking into account time and logistical constraints, it was therefore agreed to limit the visit to Samoa and Australia only,” the spokesperson said.

“Their Majesties extend their warmest thanks and best wishes to all parties for their continued support and understanding,” they added.

The King’s absence from Commonwealth countries since his accession to the throne has raised many questions. The announcement of his first overseas tours as monarch, to France and Germany, caused great surprise. This was followed by a trip to Kenya, which is a member of the Commonwealth but not a kingdom.

Charles’ visit to Australia will be a key test of his popularity as head of state. The country, colonized by the British in 1788, has long debated the need for a remote monarch. In a 1999 referendum on the issue, voters chose to maintain a constitutional monarchy, 55 percent to 45 percent.

In other Commonwealth countries, the death of Queen Elizabeth II has revived rumours, some stronger than others, of breaking ties with the crown and creating republics. But in Australia, despite the pro-republican positions of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, no immediate initiative has been taken in this direction.

Albanese had proposed holding a referendum on whether the country should become a republic if he won a second term in 2025. However, those plans appear to have been abandoned to focus on more pressing domestic challenges, such as the cost of living crisis.