King Charles to meet Australian cancer experts in first tour since his and Kate Middleton’s diagnoses

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The King intends to meet leading cancer experts during his upcoming trip to Australia, after undergoing treatment for the disease this year.

Charles and Queen Camilla are due to undertake a tour of the Commonwealth nation and the island of Samoa between the 18th and 24th of October, in what will mark his first trip to both nations since becoming monarch.

The programme is likely to be designed to afford him time to rest and recover from the many hours he will spend flying during his trip.

Over the course of the trip, he will meet with two 'Australians of the Year', Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer and hear about their work in helping those affected by melanoma, one of the country's most common cancers.

The 75-year-old king was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year, after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.

He has since returned to public duties and has carried out a light calendar of engagements, while continuing to work on state matters from his desk.

His daughter-in-law Kate has similarly undergone her own health scare this year, after revealing her cancer diagnosis in March, which was discovered after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January.

In a highly emotional and personal video released on Monday, the Princess of Wales revealed that she had finished her chemotherapy treatment, and hopes to return to light public duties in the coming months.

Laughing and playing with her husband and three children at their Norfolk home, she said: "The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.

"The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything."

While she participated in the Trooping the Colour parade over summer, Kate has remained largely out of the public eye while Charles has resumed front-facing duties since April.

Although he withdrew from public events in the weeks after his diagnosis, the King continued with his constitutional role as head of state, including paperwork and private meetings and his weekly sessions with the prime minister.

It was announced in July that he and Camilla would embark on a tour of Australia at the invitation of the country’s government, and will see them carry out engagements in Sydney and Canberra.

In Samoa, they will celebrate “the strong bilateral relationship” between the Pacific Island nation and the UK, and the couple are expected to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) 2024.

The Chogm brings together delegations from 56 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The King’s visit to Australia will be His Majesty’s first to a realm as monarch, whilst the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa is the first The King will attend as Head of the Commonwealth.

“In both countries, Their Majesties’ engagements 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.”

Engagements in Australia will include a reception at Parliament House in Canberra, where they will be greeted by prime minister Anthony Albanese, with Charles giving a speech to leading politicians and community leaders.

They will also visit the Australian War Memorial, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to learn about the centre’s efforts to tackle bush fires and tour the National Botanic Gardens.

The king will then meet with oncologist Professor Long and pathologist Professor Scolyer, who are the co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia. They have led a team pinoeering in the use of use of immunotherapy treatment for melanoma, which was then adapted for brain cancer when Scolyer was diagnosed with it in June 2023.

Meanwhile, Camilla is due to visit a library to learn about children’s literacy and join a discussion of domestic and family violence, with both royals attending a community BBQ in Sydney and meeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.

In Samoa, the king is due to visit a mangrove forest and a National Park to learn about the country’s biodiversity and sustainability, while his wife will visit a school and the Samoa Victim Support Group.

For the last CHOGM staged by Rwanda in 2022, Charles deputised for Queen Elizabeth II but will now welcome the representatives as head of state.