King Charles’s visit to Australia and Samoa was modified in light of his cancer diagnosis, but still saw him pack in multiple engagements across 10 days in the two countries. And as the trip came to an end this weekend, Buckingham Palace has made it known that he is ready for more next year, with plans for a “normal looking” schedule of overseas tours for 2025.
“We’re now working on a pretty normal looking full overseas tour programme for next year, which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms,” a Palace official was quoted as saying in a report by the UK’s press association.
Usually, members of the royal family would carry out two major overseas tours each year, one in the Spring and one in the Autumn. It is not yet known where Charles plans to travel in 2025, however Canada seems a likely destination after it was reported that a trip there this Spring was postponed.
There was no specific information about the King’s health or his treatment in this latest update from the Palace, which is in line with their ongoing position. Aside from the initial announcement in February that the King had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, any information about his illness or recovery has been given only in the context of how it is relevant to his working schedule. However, an update such as this one that he will be returning to normal traveling is clearly a positive indicator as far as his health goes.
Indeed, reports suggest that the King, who will be 76 in November, “thrived” on the tour’s schedule. “He has genuinely loved this tour. He has genuinely thrived on the programme. It’s lifted his spirits, his mood and his recovery. In that sense, the tour – despite its demands – has been the perfect tonic,” the BBC quoted a Palace official as saying.
The King and Queen were greeted by cheering crowds at points on the visit, but they also faced protests and controversy. Indigenous Australian senator Lidia Thorpe attracted much attention with her angry confrontation of the King at Canberra’s Parliament House, and there were other reminders elsewhere that many Australians want to move on from having the British monarch as head of state. The King did not react to Senator Thorpe’s confrontation and was said to have been unruffled by the indecent.
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