King Charles set to visit Australia despite cancer shock

King Charles is set to make an official visit to Australia this year despite his recent cancer diagnosis.

The visit will be the first from a reigning monarch since 2011 and is set to happen later this year, according to Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.

“The King has shown his compassion for Australians affected by recent natural disasters, just as Australians have shown compassion and support for the King following his cancer diagnosis,” Mr Albanese said on Sunday.

“The King, Queen and members of the royal family are always welcome in Australia,” he added.

Buckingham Palace has not confirmed plans, but royal sources told The Mirror that the trip would probably happen in October to coincide with a visit to New Zealand and would include the Queen.

Charles, 75, is not carrying out public duties while he has treatment but is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on state papers.

While he steps back from official visits, other members of the royal family have stepped up to take on extra duties.

Together with the Prince of Wales, the Queen has taken on more engagements since the King stepped back.

The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer following hospital treatment for an enlarged prostate, which is unrelated to the cancer.

He was treated in the same hospital as the Princess of Wales, who underwent abdominal surgery for an unknown condition in January.

Kate will return to royal engagements after Easter, Kensington Palace said in a new update.

The princess was last seen attending a service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk ahead of the planned abdominal surgery on 16 January.

Since her return home to Windsor in late January, the princess has not been seen in public, which has led to growing concerns about her health.

Theories about her absence intensified online after Prince William bowed out of a planned appearance at a memorial service of his godfather, King Constantine of the Hellenes, who died in January last year. William attributed an unspecified “personal reason” for missing the service.

Addressing the rumours, a spokesperson with Kensington Palace said: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”