Here are some photos of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to Jersey this week. Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of France. The residents of Jersey consider themselves subjects of the British Crown, I guess? But they mostly operate independently. Honestly, I don’t have a complete understanding of all of this, but it does look like Charles & Cam got a huge turnout for their visit. Speaking of turnouts, I wonder what the reaction will be when Charles and Camilla travel to Australia and Samoa in October. This trip has been spoken about for months already, but the palace just confirmed that it will actually happen. They’ve already edited down the trip to exclude New Zealand and to keep to a “condensed schedule.”
The King and Queen will travel to Australia and Samoa in October but a visit to New Zealand has been dropped after doctors “advised that such an extended programme should be avoided at this time, to prioritise His Majesty’s continued recovery”. Nevertheless, it marks the first visit to a Commonwealth realm since Charles ascended the throne in 2022.
The visit in the autumn will include a trip to the Pacific island of Samoa, where the King will address the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, the biannual conference held by leaders of the community of countries that was championed by the late Queen. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The King and Queen will visit Australia at the invitation of the Australian government, where their programme will feature engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. Their Majesties’ state visit to Samoa will celebrate the strong bilateral relationship between the Pacific island nation and the UK.”
While the King’s cancer treatment continues, his doctors have advised a condensed schedule of engagements, which means that a planned visit to New Zealand as part of the tour has now been dropped. A Palace spokesman said: “In close consultation with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers, and with due regard for the pressures of time and logistics, it has therefore been agreed to limit the visit to Samoa and Australia only. Their Majesties send their warmest thanks and good wishes to all parties for their continued support and understanding.”
“Their Majesties will visit the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Samoa. The King’s doctors have advised that a further extension to Their Majesties’ trip should be avoided at this time, to prioritise His Majesty’s continued recovery. As with all His Majesty’s recent engagements, his programme in both countries will be subject to doctors’ advice, and any necessary modifications on health grounds. “
You know what I think is bad news? That we don’t have an end point for Charles’s cancer treatment. I get that the doctors will continue to treat him for as long as he has cancer, but they’re projecting three months in advance that he’ll still be receiving treatment? I also think Charles’s schedule has reflected, for months now, that his treatments really knock him out for several days and that’s why he can’t travel on multi-day tours. I wonder what kinds of contingency plans are being made for all of this.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.