King Charles has received one important piece of advice from Queen Camilla: “slow down” on his public engagements.
According to a close source, as the king prepares for a busy summer and a multi-country tour that includes Australia, Camilla has expressed concern about her husband’s health.
King Charles’s Health: Queen Camilla suggests more rest
Earlier this year, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the king’s summer schedule would be scaled back to allow for a stronger recovery, as Charles continues to undergo treatment for his cancer.
The king’s doctors have been optimistic about his progress, describing his recovery as “very encouraged” and “sufficiently pleased”.
However, despite his recovery, the king has had a busy schedule in recent weeks, with high-profile events such as Royal Ascot and Trooping the Colour.
In response to this pace, the queen has urged her husband, to whom she has been married for 19 years, to slow down to avoid exhaustion, which could adversely affect his recovery.
A friend of Camilla’s told the Daily Beast, “She has been trying to encourage him to slow down. Of course, he wants to keep cracking on, but she is afraid that doing too much could set him back.”
In addition, it has emerged that the possible cancellation of King Charles’ trip to New Zealand, part of a Commonwealth tour later this year, has left the monarch with “great regret”.
Although he is expected to travel to Australia and Samoa for a Commonwealth summit in October, additional visits to New Zealand and Fiji have apparently been canceled due to his treatment.
The Australian segment of the official visit has been reduced to just six days. Still, the king considers visiting the country “non-negotiable” because of its political atmosphere, which some describe as “considerable popular antipathy” toward the monarchy.
The king and queen will have to quickly adjust to the time change in Australia, but will take a two-day break before arriving in Samoa to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2024 (CHOGM 2024) for three days.
Another source told the media outlet: “To go there when he is being treated for cancer wasn’t what he planned – but you could hardly think of a better way of letting Australians know how important they are to the crown”.
King Charles isn’t the only royal facing interruptions to his summer schedule due to cancer diagnoses. The Princess of Wales is also undergoing treatment.