Prince William steps up as King Charles’ Australia visit set for delay

Scheduled trips to Australia and Canada may be delayed and the King’s appearance at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Samoa in October is not guaranteed.

King Charles and Queen Camilla leave The London Clinic last week. Picture: Getty Images.

Planned foreign state visits looked in doubt last night as a campaign began at the Palace to reassure the public after the King had cancer diagnosed.

Scheduled trips to Australia and Canada may be delayed and the King’s appearance at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Samoa in October is not guaranteed. Plans are being made for public appearances by other senior members of the royal family.

King Charles III hosts Anthony Albanese at Buckingham Palace in May last year.

Hours before the news of the King’s condition was announced, a statement from Kensington Palace said the Prince of Wales would be returning to duties. Prince William had been expected to stay off work while his wife continues her recovery from abdominal surgery but the announcement revealed two official engagements for William.

He will conduct investitures at Windsor Castle tomorrow. Dressed in his RAF uniform it may well be the perfect opportunity for William’s first public return when eyes will turn to him as the heir to the throne. Those receiving honours from the prince will include Ellen Convery, the England striker who, as Ellen White, helped the Lionesses to win the Euro 2022 trophy.

In the evening the prince will travel to London to attend the annual fundraising gala for the London Air Ambulance Charity.

William, a former air ambulance pilot who served as a search and rescue helicopter pilot before moving to the East Anglian Air Ambulance service, became patron of the charity in 2020. He had previously supported the London charity’s 30th anniversary in 2019, when he flew with the crew to launch the 30 Years Saving Lives campaign and met staff and patients from the service at fundraising events.

The gala is likely to provide an opportunity for William to deliver a speech at a time when the royal family will be looking to him to lead the way.

The diary announcement is quite a change from his previous plan to stay by the Princess of Wales’s side a little longer. Kate was discharged from the London Clinic a week ago after spending nearly a fortnight recovering from abdominal surgery. She had a planned operation for a condition that the princess wishes to remain private.

Kensington Palace has said that the princess will not return to official duties until Easter at the earliest. The palace said: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.

“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’s progress when there is significant new information to share.

“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”

With Kate absent from duties for many months, the Queen will step up, with a palace spokesman confirming: “Yes, Her Majesty will continue with a full program of public duties.”

Meanwhile the Queen, who held the fort last week, despite learning of her husband’s cancer diagnosis earlier that week, has indicated that she will carry on with public engagements.

On Friday she appeared at the opening of a cancer care centre for the Maggie’s charity.

The royal family also marked World Cancer Day on Sunday with messages on social media.

A palace spokesman said: “The King has elected to make his diagnosis public once the schedule of treatment had begun, noting that as Prince of Wales he was patron of a number of cancer-related charities. In this capacity, His Majesty has often spoken publicly in support of cancer patients, their loved ones and the wonderful health professionals who help care for them.”

Other senior members of the family will be drafted in to help.

The Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are expected to carry out more official duties.

The Times