King Charles Will Travel With Two Doctors During His First Royal Tour Since Cancer Diagnosis

The physicians will join the royal entourage after news broke that the monarch decided to “pause” cancer treatments while abroad.

King Charles making a surprised face and wearing a suit and tie
(Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles' royal entourage will get a little bit bigger as he undergoes his first royal tour since announcing he was diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer.

According to a Times report published on Friday, Oct. 11, the monarch will take two doctors with him during his 11-day royal trip to both Australia and Samoa.

"He will pause the cancer treatment he has been having since February," the outlet reports, adding that during his overseas travel the. monarch will be "monitored closely."

According to a palace insider who spoke to the Times, the "decision to pause treatment and resume it when he returns to Britain followed advice from doctors."

Both King Charles and Queen Camilla will begin travel on Friday, Oct. 18 and wrap up the Oceania visit on Saturday, Oct. 26. The visit to both Sydney and Canberra marks King Charles first trip to a Commonwealth country since he became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, on Sept. 8, 2022.

King Charles looks sad while attending The Braemar Gathering in Scotland on September 2, 2023

King Charles attends The Braemar Gathering in Scotland on September 2, 2023

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

The monarchy announced King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer back in February, and have since remained relatively tight-lipped regarding his health, offering a few scarce updates and insights via close royal family members.

Recently, Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, has shared a rare health update about King Charles III's cancer treatment, telling attendees at an event that "doctor says the treatment is going well."

Parker Bowles also revealed how his mom, Queen Camilla, has been dealing with the almost year-long diagnosis, telling the same crowd, "She's tough, my mother."

Ahead of the monarch's trip, King Charles is reportedly heading orders from both Queen Camilla and his doctors concerning his diet.

While the monarch has reportedly always forgone lunch, claiming to be too busy to stop and eat, "on the orders of his wife, aides and doctors, he has grudgingly started eating in the middle of the day to keep his strength up."

"With some reluctance, he now has something to eat at lunchtime—a snack, really," a source told The Mail on Sunday. "He now eats half an avocado to sustain him through the day. It's important, particularly if you have got an illness."

Shortly after the monarch was diagnosed with cancer, Queen Camilla reportedly didn't want Charles to share his health issue with the general public. Of course, she was "overruled."

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.