King Charles and Queen Camilla Take "Day of Rest" During Australia Royal Tour

The official visit marks the first substantial overseas trip for the couple since the monarch was diagnosed with cancer.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla depart following a service at St. Thomas's Anglican Church on October 20, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles and Queen Camilla are making sure they find time to rest while on a whirlwind royal tour of Australia and Samoa.

On the second day of the royal couple's high-profile royal trip, King Charles and Queen Camilla reportedly took a much-needed "day of rest" following their official (and warm) welcome.

As Hello! reports, "Their Majesties decided to take a 'rest day' during the high-profile six-day trip, likely to help them adjust to the time difference and recharge their batteries ahead of their busy schedule."

"We've had to, as you would with any visit, think about how you can ensure their Majesty's energies are preserved to be at their best," a Buckingham spokesperson previously said, per the publication.

"There had been some hope earlier in the year for their Majesties to be able to visit New Zealand. On doctor's advice, and in close consultation with the Australian and New Zealand governments, that wasn't able to take place," the individual added. "We've had to make some difficult decisions about the programme with the Australian government, about where their Majesties can get to."

King Charles III and Queen Camilla depart following a service at St. Thomas's Anglican Church on October 20, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla depart following a service at St. Thomas's Anglican Church on October 20, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The royal tour of both Australia and Samoa marks the first official visit for King Charles since his coronation following the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

It also marks the most significant trip the monarch has undertaken since announcing he was diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer back in February.

As previously reported, King Charles is pausing his chemotherapy treatments during the whirlwind royal affair, and instead traveling with two doctors who are said to be monitoring the royal's health closely.

On Sunday, Oct. 20, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended religious services at St. Thomas's Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia. During the visit, as the Daily Mail notes, the monarch signed the country's first official Bible and the book of common prayer.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend a service at St. Thomas's Anglican Church on October 20, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend a service at St. Thomas's Anglican Church on October 20, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Bible has been signed by every member of the royal family who has visited Australia officially, including Queen Elizabeth and the late Princess Diana. According to the Daily Mail, King Charles signed the religious text "on a page beneath the signature of the late Princess of Wales."

While attending the service and signing the book, King Charles even made a comment about his apparent jet lag and fatigue.

"What day is it again?" the monarch reportedly joked, per the Daily Mail, referencing the long flight to Sydney.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.

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