King Charles changes tour plans over fears he's doing too much after cancer battle

The King and Queen are expected to reduce their upcoming trip Down Under due to concerns from medical professionals that Charles is overexerting himself.

The Royal couple will be visiting Australia and Samoa, but a proposed visit to New Zealand is likely to be cancelled. An insider shared: "It will be a better disappointment on both sides." Charles, who has been receiving weekly cancer treatments since his diagnosis in February, only resumed his public duties at the end of April.

The 75-year-old King had pledged to "makeup for lost time" after being compelled to cut back, but he is being advised to limit his commitments. The Royal tour will include a visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, which is seen as an extremely important trip for Charles.

However, insiders suggest the Australian portion of the tour will be reduced to approximately six days, with a break of up to two days before the King and Queen journey to Samoa for three days, reports the Mirror.

Charles and Camilla last visited Australia in 2018 to celebrate the Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast. They also visited in November 2012, as part of a trip to Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand on behalf of the Queen of each respective Realm during the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga in October 2018 is considered to be the most recent major tour of the combined region by a member of the Royal family.

During his tenure as Prince of Wales, the monarch visited New Zealand on 10 occasions, with three of those trips made alongside the Queen Consort when she held the title of Duchess of Cornwall.

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Their most recent stint in New Zealand was a six-day tour in November 2019, followed by a brief three-day sojourn to the Solomon Islands.

A Royal source revealed: "Naturally, it will be a bitter disappointment on both sides to not have the opportunity for the King and Queen to visit New Zealand, but of course all are aware of the King's ongoing health and the need for him to pace himself. It's very much hoped there will be further opportunities in the future."

In January, the King had a hospital stay spanning three nights due to an enlarged prostate, which was followed by a "secondary diagnosis" of cancer the following month. He has since been receiving weekly treatments, expected to continue for several more months.

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