Queen Camilla Bursts Into Tears as King Charles References Mortality Amid Cancer Treatment

"I hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you."

Queen Camilla crying behind a fan while wearing a floral dress during visit to Samoa on October 26, 2024
(Image credit: MANAUI FAULALO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images/Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Images)

King Charles and Queen Camilla wrapped up their 10-day royal tour of Australia and Samoa with an emotional farewell.

The King and Queen ended the tour at a traditional Ava ceremony, which was held in the village of Siumu, the Daily Mail reported. King Charles was bestowed with the honorary title of To'aiga-o-Tumua, and he appeared to be genuinely moved by the warm welcome he'd received during the tour.

"I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you," King Charles told the crowd. "We shall take away with us, I promise you, very special memories of our time here. We thank you for our wonderful gifts."

While some outlets suggested Queen Camilla was photographed crying with laughter during the event, others noted how emotional the King and Queen both were.

Meanwhile, the village's chief told Charles (via the Daily Mail), "Your papa Prince Philip was here, so were your brothers. So thank you for making the time. Your royal visit has lifted our house."

Queen Camilla crying in Samoa while wearing a floral dress

(Image credit: Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Images)

King Charles shared his cancer diagnosis with the world in February. Since then, reports have suggested the King's cancer treatment is going well.

As he is undertaking an international royal tour while undergoing cancer treatment, King Charles traveled to Australia and Samoa with two doctors.

King Charles wears flowers and a gray suit while speaking in Samoa

(Image credit: Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Image)

During the farewell ceremony, King Charles told attendees (via GB News), "We've been so impressed by the beautiful way in which all the villages have decorated the roadsides, it is something very special about Samoa."

The Daily Mail reported that King Charles and Queen Camilla's royal tour has been extremely successful. "[Charles'] Australia and Samoa tour was seen by Buckingham Palace as a huge test of his reign—and surpassed all expectations," they reported.

The outlet also noted that the Queen has been an important support for the King following his cancer diagnosis. "At Queen Camilla's urging, he has been taking some down time by reading a 'great' new book," the Daily Mail reported. "The King feels closer to his wife than ever. The couple are a 'remarkable unit,' courtiers say, and she has kept it 'real' for him."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.