News Desk

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are planning a visit to Australia this October,Part of a broader tour that includes Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Buckingham Palace announced the trip, noting it will be the 75-year-old monarch’s first visit to a Commonwealth realm since his ascension to the throne. Besides the UK, Charles serves ceremonially as head of state in 14 realms including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

The visit to Australia, at the invitation of the Australian government, will feature engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. This trip marks Charles’ return to Australia after six years, when he and Camilla attended the opening of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings are biennial gatherings hosted by member states; this year’s theme in Samoa, Charles’ first as head of the organization, is “One Resilient Future: Transforming Our Common Wealth.” It will convene delegations from 56 member states.

The palace highlighted that their visit to Samoa aims to celebrate the strong bilateral ties between the UK and the Pacific Island nation. Despite Charles’ ongoing cancer treatment, he has been active, recently attending D-Day commemorations in France and undertaking various engagements across the UK.