King Charles III is grappling with the possibility of canceling key travel plans due to his ongoing cancer treatment, which has left the 75-year-old monarch heartbroken.
The King fears substantial repercussions if he misses out on upcoming foreign trips, as his medical team has issued a new warning regarding his health. The monarch is particularly concerned about the impact of potentially canceling his visit to New Zealand, which was part of a broader Commonwealth tour later this year.
An insider revealed that the rumored cancellation of King Charles's trip to New Zealand has caused him "great regret." Despite this, he remains determined to visit Australia and Samoa for a Commonwealth summit in October, even though additional stops in New Zealand and Fiji may be scrapped due to his health issues.
Missing out on the two additional destinations would be a significant loss, according to sources. New Zealand's Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has extended an "open invitation to King Charles" for what would be his first visit there since 2019. Despite reports suggesting the Kiwi leg of the trip might be called off, Buckingham Palace insists that plans are proceeding as intended.
A separate source told the Mirror, "They are in denial by continuing to say that planning for the overseas trip is full steam ahead, but the orders come from the top. Charles is optimistic and desperately wants to keep going with everything."
The source continued, "Missing New Zealand is a great loss, and it will be a source of great regret for him, because to be honest he probably won't be doing it again. But it's frankly incredible that he is still doing Australia, and that should be celebrated."
The Australian segment of the official visit has been shortened to six days, but the King considers it "non-negotiable" despite his cancer battle. "Australia is such an important part of the Commonwealth that Charles feels it is absolutely non-negotiable," the source added. "There is considerable popular antipathy to the entire concept of the British monarch being head of state there, and of course he doesn't want to go down as the man who lost Australia."
The King's private secretary, Clive Alderton, is already in Australia this month to finalize arrangements for the visit. However, he has not made any appearances in New Zealand, further fueling speculation about the trip's status.
