King Charles III and Queen Camilla hint at Commonwealth's future with heartfelt message

King Charles III has issued a final goodbye to Australia and Samoa in a public message shared one day after he and Queen Camilla's historic tour came to a close.

Taking to Instagram, Charles – who paused his cancer treatment to embark on his first tour of a Commonwealth Realm as monarch – thanked both countries for their hospitality and seemed to hint at the future of the Commonwealth in one fell swoop.

"As our visits to Australia and Samoa come to a close, my wife and I would like to thank both nations for the warmest of welcomes and for the countless fond memories we will carry in our hearts for many years to come," the message, signed by Charles, 75, and Camilla, 77, began.

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"Even when we are far apart in distance, the many close connections that unite us across the globe and through our Commonwealth family have been renewed, and will remain as profound as they are enduring," he concluded.

The message was shared alongside a photo of a smiling Camilla and Charles taken while they were in Samoa.

Charles' note came after he gave a speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Friday where he said he understood "from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate".

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In photos: King Charles and Queen Camilla's Australia tour

"It is vital, therefore, that we understand our history, to guide us towards making the right choices in future," Charles said.

The monarch's comments came amid calls for the United Kingdom and other former colonial powers to pay reparations for their role in transatlantic slavery, a premise Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected at the summit.

Charles and Camilla departed Samoa on Saturday, after arriving on Wednesday following a five-day visit to Australia – during which he faced a protest from Senator Lidia Thorpe.

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"This is not your land, you are not my King," Thorpe, who is First Nations, could be heard yelling during an engagement at Parliament House in Canberra.

Days later, upon his departure on a Royal Australian Air Force jet, Charles reportedly told his Pacific Island hosts, "I hope I survive long enough to come back and see you."

Per The Telegraph UK, he also said: "I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world."

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