King Charles to pause cancer treatment during royal visit to Australia

King Charles will temporarily stop his weekly treatment for cancer during the royal tour of Australia and Samoa.

The monarch, 75, has been given permission to pause his weekly cycle later this month.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in Australia on October 18 and visit Sydney and Canberra, before travelling to Samoa.

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The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in February.

He will receive treatment until his departure, and resume outpatient appointments when he returns to the UK, the Daily Mail reported.

The Australian and Samoa tour will be the King's most significant visit abroad since he was diagnosed with cancer.

King Charles' doctor will accompany him on the journey which spans 11 days, including nine of engagements and two for travel on either side.

The itinerary has been scaled back on medical advice, allowing the King to rest after the long flying time, and to adjust to the climate.

King Charles has been resting at the Balmoral estate, in the Scottish Highlands, in preparation for the visit. Queen Camilla is reportedly planning a pre-tour break with friends this week.

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The King will visit Australia for the first time as sovereign and head of state, and His Majesty's first to a Commonwealth country as head of the organisation created by his late mother.

While in Australia, the King's schedule will not include evening engagements due to his health and age, in a marked departure from past tours.

In Sydney, itinerary highlights include time on Sydney Harbour for a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy, along with a visit to the Opera House.

The King and Queen will attend a community barbeque in western Sydney, in what is expected to be one of the more colourful events of the tour, highlighting cultural diversity and food producers from across NSW.

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Camilla is due to meet school children participating in a Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, promoting her devotion to literacy.

The King will undertake several engagements relating to cancer including a meeting with Australians of the Year Prof Georgina Long and Prof Richard Scolyer, who were recognised for their pivotal work on melanoma, one of Australia's most common cancers.

In Canberra, the King and Queen will lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and attend a reception with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – a self-professed republican –at Parliament House.

Queen Camilla will attend a meeting with the charity GIVIT in her role as patron, relating to Her Majesty's continued awareness of domestic and family violence, a cause she has championed throughout her royal career.

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Following the Australian leg, the King and Queen will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa's capital.

Their Majesties were originally hoping to visit New Zealand, too, but that had to be cancelled.

The tour comes at a pivotal time for the monarchy during a turbulent year that has seen two of its most senior members sidelined due to health reasons.

It's also a crucial part of the royal family's long and strong relationship with Australia, particularly as the push for a republic gained momentum following the end of Queen Elizabeth II's 70-year reign.