The King will be accompanied by two doctors on his 11-day trip to Australia and Samoa.
Prince Charles’ visit to Sydney and Canberra will be his first visit to Commonwealth territory during his reign. To make this possible, the king will temporarily suspend the cancer treatment he has been receiving since his diagnosis in February.
The 75-year-old monarch will be closely monitored during the visit. Palace sources said the decision to pause treatment and resume it upon return to the UK was taken on the advice of doctors.
It is understood that Michael Dixon, the Royal Medical Director known for his interest in homeopathy, will not be one of the doctors traveling with the King.
The steps taken to support Charles abroad are as follows: This is understood to be the same as previous arrangements put in place for the late Queen. This included traveling with the monarch’s blood to ensure an exact match in case a transfusion was needed.
The king will travel with his own doctors and will also be supported by medical teams from Australia and Samoa. In Australia, the itinerary is designed with the king’s health in mind, with the king and queen taking a day of rest and no official duties in the evening.
Historian and author Hugo Vickers said: “The medical team has been consulted and will look after the king and make sure he is not overworked. The king has a tendency to overwork. Because I understand,” he said. I’m sure he wouldn’t take that trip unless he had enough physical strength. ”
In Samoa, the king and queen will arrive in the evening and attend a state banquet. The King is scheduled to meet with the leaders of the Commonwealth Government in Samoa, and has been holding a number of telephone conversations with them in preparation.
Last week, Prince Charles met with the King of Malaysia, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the President of Sierra Leone, the Prime Minister of Belize, and the President of Zambia.
The Federal Leadership Conference is held every two years. This will be the first time a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean will host this event. To accommodate visiting dignitaries and media, the cruise ship will function as a floating hotel.
This year’s theme is “Resilience”. Sources close to the king say he has become familiar with the issue, especially in recent months. Charles was admitted to the hospital in January to undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. At the same time, doctors identified another area of concern and diagnosed an unrelated type of cancer.
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Buckingham Palace announced in April that the king was “hugely encouraged” to receive news from his doctor that he could resume royal duties while continuing treatment. A palace spokesperson said in the spring that it was “too early to say” how long the king’s treatment would last, but that his doctors were “very satisfied with the progress so far.”
It has not been revealed what type of cancer the King has, but he has received regular cancer treatment since his diagnosis and returns to London once a week from Scotland for treatment during the summer holidays. It is said that His first official duty after returning to work was to visit a cancer treatment center with the Queen.
In Australia, he plans to visit the Sydney Opera House and participate in a barbecue, and is looking forward to meeting the public. However, in view of his continued poor health, a planned visit to New Zealand was canceled from the tour.
Instead, Charles tried to meet New Zealanders in other ways. He told the country’s women’s rugby team at a reception at Buckingham Palace: “I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to come to New Zealand in late October due to doctor’s orders. But I hope there’s another excuse. [to visit] Soon. In the meantime, give New Zealand some love. ”