Buckingham Palace has announced that the King will make his first foreign trip since being diagnosed with cancer.
In the autumn he will travel to Australia and Samoa with his wife, Queen Camilla.
Charles will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa and is also expected to visit Sydney and Canberra in October.
Plans to extend the tour to New Zealand and Fiji have been scrapped due to the King’s cancer treatment.
It is not known whether he will continue to receive treatment during the overseas trip after he was diagnosed with an unknown form of the disease in January.
He kept working the whole time.
The King will travel to Australia and Samoa in the autumn, accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla. Pictured: The King and Queen hold koalas in Adelaide, Australia in November 2012
King Charles talks to an indigenous elder during a traditional Welcoming Ceremony in the Country on April 9, 2018
The King and Queen will visit Australia and Samoa this autumn, but the couple will not be visiting New Zealand due to Charles’ ongoing treatment for cancer
Charles will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa and is also expected to visit Sydney and Canberra in October. Pictured: The King and Queen at Waitangi, New Zealand, in 2019
Charles is given a grass skirt to wear before receiving a chief title during a visit to the Chiefs’ Nakamal during a visit to the South Pacific island of Vanuatu
Charles and Camilla walk along Broadbeach in Gold Coast on April 5, 2018, where they attended the opening ceremony of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
But doctors have advised him to have a shorter visit as a precaution and to pace himself.
A spokesman said: ‘The King’s doctors have advised avoiding such a lengthy programme at this time, in order to prioritise His Majesty’s continued recovery.
‘In close consultation with the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, and taking into account time and logistical constraints, it was decided to limit the visit to Samoa and Australia.
‘Their Majesties send their heartfelt thanks and best wishes to all parties for their continued support and understanding.’
The same reason has been given for the shorter than planned visit to Australia, with fewer public gatherings.
His spokesman said: ‘As with all of His Majesty’s recent engagements, his programme in both countries will be subject to the advice of doctors and any necessary adjustments for health reasons.’
Still, it’s remarkable that he’s undertaking such a long and grueling journey — a total of 30,000 miles door to door — at age 75 and given the health crisis he’s recently faced.
The King and Queen pictured in 2015 leaving Perth, Australia after a tour
Charles and Camilla during their visit to Orokonui Ecosanctuary on November 5, 2015
Charles meets locals after he and his wife Camilla (not pictured) arrive in Longreach in outback Queensland on November 5, 2012
The King will undertake his first foreign royal tour since being diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace has announced. Pictured: The King and Queen visit the Senedd
But apparently King Charles is determined to honour his commitments. It is his first trip to Australia, where he is also head of state, since his accession to the throne.
Sources in Australia say the king will not be attending all-day events due to health concerns, with regular time set aside for rest. It is believed he will visit the New South Wales Parliament House and a major attraction such as the Sydney Opera House.
It is also believed that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host a formal reception in his honour in Canberra.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa will bring together delegations from 56 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The King succeeded his late mother as head of the Commonwealth.