King Charles will have a distinctly short and focused visit to Australia next month in recognition of his ongoing battle with cancer.
In a sharp contrast to the weeks-long royal tours and popular walk about of previous visits, this longed for trip by Charles is confined to engagements in Sydney and Canberra over three days and factors in extra rest periods.
One of the last engagements is for Charles to learn about the groundbreaking cancer research led by Australians of the Year, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer.
Courtiers have been at pains to ensure the royal trip, starting on the evening of Friday October 18, will not fatigue the King who has had to modify his exacting and long working hours while undergoing cancer treatment. Earlier pre-cancer plans for an extensive tour including all states of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific were ripped up when his health deteriorated at the beginning of the year. He last visited Australia in 2018 for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, but this is Charles’ first visit here since becoming King two years ago.
After their arrival the King will rest for a day before being involved in a Sydney engagement on the Sunday.
Then on Monday they will be welcomed to Parliament House by Prime Minister Albanese at a reception for politicians, community leaders and those who have excelled in the fields of health, arts, culture and sport.
This may be the only chance for some of Charles’ long standing Australian friends forged over the decades from his high school year at Timbertop in Victoria to workers in his Australian charity, the Princes’ Trust, to catch up.
Queen Camilla has insisted Charles adjust his routine to prioritise his health. The cancer battle facing his daughter-in-law Catherine, and her embrace of nature to calm her spirits has also been a big influence, reminding Charles to spend more time in the garden and countryside.
However Charles takes great delight in meeting local people and the few days in Australia will reflect this and the particular interests of both the King and Queen. This includes visits to the Australian War Memorial, the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the CSIRO where scientists will share their work on dealing with the impact of bushfires in Australia. The Queen will participate in a discussion on family and domestic violence, and meet representatives from GIVIT as well as meet children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop.
In Sydney the royal couple will conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy and attend a community BBQ.
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