The King and Queen to visit Australia this autumn

[-:Undertaker:-]

The King and Queen to visit Australia this autumn

The King and Queen of Australia will go down under and to Samoa this October

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to visit Australia and Samoa in October, as the King takes on more public duties while receiving cancer treatment.

The pair will carry out engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, before heading to Samoa for a Commonwealth summit.

The King will make the lengthy journey despite his diagnosis for an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year.

But Buckingham Palace have confirmed that the couple will not visit New Zealand, saying doctors have advised against an extended visit on health grounds.

"In close consultation with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers, and with due regard for the pressures of time and logistics, it has therefore been agreed to limit the visit to Samoa and Australia only," the Palace said in a statement.

This will be the King's first visit to Australia as Monarch. It is also his first official overseas tour since his cancer diagnosis.

In Samoa, they will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

In Australia, their programme includes visits to the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.

The couple are expected to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), which brings together delegations from the 56 countries in the Commonwealth.

Further details of the visit to the two countries are expected to be announced shortly, and the couple's programme and schedule changes will be subject to doctor's advice.

The 75-year-old monarch last visited Australia in 2018 with the Queen for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

The Australian Government recently abolished the Ministry for a Republic, conceding that another referendum on the monarchy isn't going to happen.

A shame they haven't done a post-Coronation tour of all the realms, but the Queen is known to dislike long haul travel.

Following the failure of 'The Voice' referendum in Australia, Prime Minister Albanese recently abolished the Republic Ministry de facto accepting that a republic isn't going to happen - which is what I predicted wayyyy back even when Queen Elizabeth II was alive. I fully expect to see a King William V and then King George VII on the throne of Australia within our lifetimes.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Details of upcoming trip released.

More details have been announced about the Royal Visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Australia in October.

Find out more about their upcoming visit here: https://t.co/VLY6HP0ghh pic.twitter.com/KoaJk5zvQV

— Australian Government (@ausgov) September 12, 2024

Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to Canberra and Sydney during their visit to Australia from 18 to 23 October.

The King and Queen will be welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. His Majesty will address a reception for political and community leaders, and prominent Australians who have excelled in the fields of health, arts, culture and sports. Their Majesties will also lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, ‘For Our Country’.

The King will visit the CSIRO to learn more about their efforts to tackle bushfires, and meet Australian of the Year recipients Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO to learn about their ground-breaking melanoma research. His Majesty will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to learn about their work in supporting the local community and strengthening culture.

In Sydney, The King and Queen will conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy and attend a community barbecue.

Queen Camilla will also meet with children who have previously participated in The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, contribute in a discussion on domestic violence, and meet representatives of charity GIVIT.

While The King has previously made 16 visits to Australia, this will be his first as Sovereign following his Accession in 2022 and the first visit to Australia by a reigning monarch since 2011.

Their Majesties will then travel to Samoa to join leaders of the 56 Commonwealth nations for the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).