King Charles III is to “pause” his cancer treatment, understood to be a weekly regimen, for 11 days as he undertakes his high-profile royal tour of Australia next week.
The king, 75, was diagnosed with cancer in February this year and has been receiving treatment on a weekly basis ever since. The palace have not said what form the therapy is taking and have not specified the type of cancer the king is suffering with.
However the Daily Mail reported Monday that the monarch, 75, has been told by doctors that he can take 11 days off his treatment when he and Queen Camilla leave for Australia on October 18, accompanied by a traveling doctor.
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The tour will see the king visit Sydney and Canberra, and then Charles will travel on to the South Pacific nation of Samoa, where he will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The Mail said the king would “continue with his ongoing cancer treatment right up until he flies” and would “pick up” his treatment “as soon as he returns to the U.K.” after the 30,000 mile round trip.
Following his mother’s principle that the monarch has to be “seen to be believed,” the king has sought to maintain a high profile and a steady, if modified, schedule of events since he was diagnosed with the disease following treatment for an enlarged prostate at the beginning of the year. When traveling around London, even while going for cancer treatment, has often done so in a ceremonial car with large windows so he can be photographed.
The trip to the southern hemisphere is a prime example of how palace planners are seeking to keep the king in the public eye whilst being ‘mindful’ of his health. One full rest day has been built into the king’s itinerary.
The trip was originally significantly longer with a New Zealand leg, which was axed over the summer.
The king’s ability to undertake the tour has been seen as evidence of his resilience and the successful progress of his treatment.
However as The Daily Beast reported last week, the king’s decision to announce he had cancer has forced his relatives and royal staffers to consider what the reign of King William V will mean for them.
Buckingham Palace did not respond to a request for comment.
