After a challenging year followed by a cancer diagnosis, King Charles and Queen Camilla are planning a more active schedule of royal engagements in 2025. They recently toured Australia and Samoa. Following the same, palace officials have revealed that the monarch will return to a “normal-looking” overseas visit calendar next year. That indeed marks a significant shift from the scaled-back duties of 2024.
The King, 75, and Queen Camilla, 77, concluded their historic nine-day tour in Samoa on October 26. It began in Australia on October 18. Despite his ongoing outpatient treatment for cancer, Charles took on the tour with determination as he paused his treatment temporarily to take care of his royal duties.
Royal visits are expected to resume in Spring 2025. That includes travel plans subject to medical clearance. According to a senior palace official, “We’re now working on a pretty normal-looking, full overseas tour program for next year.” They further added, “It’s a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms, subject to signoff by doctors.”
The King’s diagnosis earlier in 2024 came after a routine procedure for a benign enlarged prostate. While the palace clarified that he does not have prostate cancer, Charles has been undergoing treatment and initially stepped back from public duties, resuming them in April.
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This last tour was the King’s first long-distance trip since his diagnosis. A palace official called the tour “the perfect tonic” for the King, stating, “He was incredibly happy and very, very determined to come this far. It lifted his spirits, his mood, and his recovery.”
The trip had a stop in New Zealand, but that leg was canceled on the advice of doctors. Despite the schedule—sometimes with up to 10 engagements in a single day—the itinerary included rest days to ensure the King’s well-being.
The tour came with challenges as well. In Australia, Indigenous lawmaker Lidia Thorpe heckled the King during an event at Parliament House in Canberra, and protests called for reparations for slavery and colonialism. Discussions about Australia potentially becoming a republic also came up.
“He was completely unruffled,” a palace official said. “He’s been around a long time. As always, [he] kept calm and carried on. He believes free speech is the cornerstone of democracy, and so everyone is entitled to their views.”
Charles has reportedly chosen not to shy away from tough conversations. A source told The Times, “He’s always someone who wants to understand before he says anything. It’s very easy to run away from some of these issues, but the King isn’t one for doing that.”
During their final engagement in Samoa, Charles expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and clued in his hope to return to the region. “I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you,” he said.
The royal couple also shared a heartfelt message on social media at the end of their tour: “As our visits to Australia and Samoa come to a close, my wife and I would like to thank both nations for the warmest of welcomes and for the countless fond memories we will carry in our hearts for many years to come.”
The message further read, “Even when we are far apart in distance, the many close connections that unite us across the globe and through our Commonwealth family have been renewed, and will remain as profound as they are enduring.”
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King Charles recently made an appearance at a celebration of community cohesion at Fellowship Square in Walthamstow on December 20. Entrepreneur Harvinder Rattan, who was present at the event, shook hands with the King and asked him: How are you? To this, the 76-year-old replied, “I’m still alive.”
Ever since Prince Harry stepped away from the royal duties, there have been speculations among fans regarding a father-son reunion. A royal astrologer has made interesting predictions about Prince Harry’s relationships with King Charles and Prince William in 2025.
Speaking to Hello magazine, astrologer Debbie Frank shared that 2025 could be an important year for the Duke of Sussex as the planet Uranus hovers over his “destiny point.” Frank predicts that Harry will face significant decisions about his life direction and personal priorities as spring serves as a turning point.
On May 12, the Scorpio Full Moon is expected to bring out the tensions with his father and brother. That indicates some discussions could be on the line about his place in the royal family.
As the year winds down, the King is expected to rest before resuming a full schedule of engagements. With the hope of returning to normalcy, the royal household is optimistic about 2025.