London : King Charles III, who is 75 and battling cancer, will travel to Samoa this month to address the critical impact of climate change on Pacific island nations. This trip will also take him back to Australia.
Scheduled from Friday to October 26, this visit marks Charles’s first official trip to one of the 14 Commonwealth countries where he is head of state since becoming king. Observers see this journey as a sign of his determination to engage actively with global issues despite his health challenges.
Charles’ globetrotting itinerary comes as he works to shore up support for the monarchy at home and abroad two years after ascending the throne. It’s a challenge the king will face in Australia, a country with a strong anti-monarchy movement.
Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Australia with a schedule that includes a visit to Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian War Memorial and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial. The king will also meet with professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer to learn about their work on melanoma, one of Australia’s most common cancers, while the queen’s program will include joining a discussion on domestic violence,.
Dimbleby highlighted that this transformation was partly due to typical adolescence but also to the freedom he found in Australia away from royal pressures.Charles has returned to Australia multiple times, but this visit is significant as he comes as king. His trip aims to reinforce ties between Australia and the U.K., particularly considering recent security agreements.
Charles is known for his strong stance on environmental issues, encouraging world leaders to collaborate on reducing carbon emissions linked to global warming. He will attend the summit for the first time as head of the Commonwealth, a role previously held by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. Samoa and other island nations are facing significant challenges from the climate crisis, experiencing the effects of rising sea levels and more intense storms.
