King Charles Will ‘Pause’ Cancer Treatment During Royal Tour of Australia and Samoa: Report

King Charles will “pause” his ongoing ​​cancer treatment during his upcoming royal tour of Australia and Samoa, according to a new report.

On Oct. 6, the Daily Mail reported that the King’s medical team is allowing the sovereign to briefly cease what is thought to be weekly treatment during the long-distance trip, which runs from Friday, Oct. 18 to Saturday, Oct. 26.

“The Mail understands that His Majesty will continue with his ongoing cancer treatment right up until he flies, but that his doctors are happy for it to be briefly stopped while he is away,” the outlet reported.

“The King will then pick up with his treatment cycle as soon as he returns to the U.K.,” said the outlet, which described his treatment as “weekly.”

Next week, King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla will kick off the trip to Australia and Samoa for their first tour of Commonwealth countries since his accession. It also marks the royal couple’s first major international trip following the King’s cancer diagnosis, which Buckingham Palace announced in February.

On Feb. 5, the palace announced on Feb. 5 that King Charles was diagnosed with “a form of cancer” following treatment for a benign enlarged prostate in January. A spokesman clarified he does not have prostate cancer.

The sovereign postponed public-facing duties on doctor’s advice while continuing to work behind the scenes from that date until April 30, when he resumed forward-facing royal duties by visiting University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre. Though the hospital was not directly involved in the monarch’s medical care, highlighting the importance of early detection was one of the reasons the King went public with his cancer diagnosis.

A Buckingham Palace announcement that prefaced King Charles’ return to public-facing work described his treatment as ongoing. It didn’t disclose when the King’s treatment might be completed, and mentioned that all of his future plans were subject to medical advice.

“All future plans remain subject to doctors’ advice nearer the time, with appropriate adaptations made where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery,” a palace spokesperson said.

In the months since, the sovereign and some of his family members have occasionally spoken about his diagnosis and health. “It’s always a bit of a shock when they tell you,” the King reportedly told a patient at the Macmillan Cancer Centre in April. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla said that her husband was “doing very well” when a well-wisher asked about him during her solo stop at the Royal United Hospital on Sept. 3.

The King and Queen, 77, have a packed schedule ahead in Australia and Samoa, where they will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024. The summit is held biennially and the King’s appearance there was long speculated, as he is the head of the Commonwealth association of 56 nations.

The palace said that the couple’s engagements in both nations “will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of The King and Queen’s work” — though the itinerary was shifted in the interest of his health.

While the British royals would typically visit the Commonwealth country of New Zealand during a long-distance trip to Australia, it had been ruled out due to medical advice. A spokesperson previously explained that “the King’s doctors have advised that such an extended program should be avoided at this time, to prioritize His Majesty’s continued recovery.”

“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 spokesperson said when the Australia and Samoa trip was announced in July.

Buckingham Palace added that the royals “send their warmest thanks and good wishes to all parties for their continued support and understanding.”

King Charles practiced his traditional Samoan dance moves at a royal reception celebrating the Commonwealth Diaspora on Oct. 3, and the Daily Mail reported that he traveled to Scotland after for some R&R before the big trip to Australia and Samoa.

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“The fortnight in the run up to the royal tour has been kept deliberately light for His Majesty. He will still be undertaking meetings, doing his paperwork and still come down for treatment,” a source told the outlet about the King’s plans for days ahead. “Australia is a big deal and he wants to be fighting fit.”

“For a workaholic [like him] it’s the chance to have a small breather,” the source said.

Source people.com