Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to visit Australia and Samoa in October, although the trip will not include New Zealand due to the King's ongoing
cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday.
There had been speculation in British and Australian media about whether the trip would proceed following the public announcement of the King's cancer diagnosis on February 5.
The palace confirmed that Charles and Camilla will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, set to take place from October 21 to October 25.
However, the tour will not extend to New Zealand as initially planned.
"The King's doctors have advised that such an extended programme should be avoided at this time to prioritize His Majesty's continued recovery," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
The itinerary for Australia and Samoa will be subject to medical advice and may be adjusted accordingly, the palace added.
In conjunction with the announcement, Buckingham Palace released new portraits of the King and Queen wearing Australian and New Zealand decorations and insignia.
King Charles, 75, resumed public duties at the end of April for the first time since his cancer diagnosis. Buckingham Palace indicated that his schedule would be carefully managed to minimize health risks. Photo by American Samoa, Wikimedia commons.