By james art Charles will fly abroad in the spring and autumn, the traditional periods for official royal travel abroad, provided doctors clear the trip.
The development comes after the king’s recent tour of Australia and Samoa with the queen, which he was “determined” to carry out and which was a “perfect tonic” for the head of state, a senior Buckingham Palace official said.
The palace official added: “We’re now working on a pretty normal-looking full overseas tour program for next year, which is high for us to finish, so we know we can think along those lines.”
An update on the king’s health or treatment has not been made available, but news that Charles will be taking more trips abroad suggests his cancer is being successfully managed.
The king “really enjoyed” the tour and “really enjoyed” the Australia-Samoa program, which ended on Saturday, the official said, as it lifted “his spirits, his spirits and his recovery.
“In that sense, the tour, despite its demands, was the perfect tonic.”
He said the monarch derives great strength from the Queen being there, not least because she “keeps it real”.
Australia was an important visit for Charles as it was his first visit to the country as king and in Samoa he opened a major Commonwealth summit.
Commenting on Charles’ decision to undertake the tour, the official said: “I think it’s a great testament to the King’s devotion to service and duty that he was willing to come this far and was incredibly happy and very, very determined to do it.”
The king has been receiving outpatient treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since early February and initially postponed all public duties, continuing to work behind the scenes, returning to public events in late April.
Maintaining a work schedule after his diagnosis is an important part of Charles’ holistic approach to his cancer, and on a recent trip with his wife, he kept a busy schedule for the benefit of “mind and soul” while the doctor on the trip cared for him the body.
The palace official said of the high number of events the king attended during the recent tour: “It’s also a great measure of how the king is coping with the diagnosis.
“And he’s a big believer in mind, body and soul, and that combination works really well in a visit like this because he feels that sense of duty so strongly to keep his mind and soul engaged and then the doctor is here to make sure is that his body is well cared for, you have what makes a very successful visit under these circumstances.
As Charles was welcomed by parliamentarians in Canberra, he confronted Senator Lydia Thorpe, who accused him of grievances against First Nations people, including “genocide”.
“He was completely unfazed.
“He’s been here a long time. As always, keep calm, carry on,” the palace official said.
He believes that “freedom of speech is the cornerstone of democracy, and therefore everyone is entitled to their views.”
Potential problems on an overseas tour “are not avoidable”, “it’s very easy to run away from some of these problems.
“But the king is not a man to do that,” said the palace official.
The royal couple took to social media to mark the end of their tour and, writing under their own names, said: “As our visits to Australia and Samoa approach, my wife and I would like to thank both nations for the most -the warmth of welcome and for the countless fond memories we will carry in our hearts for many years to come.
“Even when we are far apart, the many close ties that unite us around the world and through our Commonwealth family are renewed and will remain as deep as they are enduring.”