King Charles' trip to Australia, Samoa will highlight the Commonwealth

LONDON, The U.K.: King Charles III is set to embark on a significant overseas tour, visiting Samoa and Australia, with a focus on addressing climate change and strengthening ties within the Commonwealth.

This will be his first visit to Australia since assuming the throne and marks an important moment in his reign as he takes on more public duties following a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

"He doesn't just want to be a sort of caretaker king, waiting in a sense for his own death and the accession of William,'' said Anna Whitelock, a professor of the history of the monarchy at City University, London, referring to Prince William. "He wants to be active in the world.''

The king's visit to Samoa highlights his deep commitment to environmental issues. The island nation is facing the severe impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels and more intense tropical storms.

As head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 nations, Charles will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, a role previously championed by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The summit will focus on the existential threat climate change poses to Pacific island nations, an issue close to the king's heart.

In Australia, Charles will visit Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian War Memorial, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial. He will also meet with leading melanoma researchers, while Queen Camilla will engage in discussions on domestic violence.

Australia holds special significance for Charles, having spent time there as a teenager, an experience that shaped his character and strengthened his connection to the country.

Despite Australia's history of republican sentiment, the monarchy is currently not at the forefront of national debate. Instead, the focus is on the economy and regional security, particularly in light of the AUKUS security pact signed with the U.K. and the U.S.

King Charles' tour underscores his active role in addressing global challenges, especially climate change, and his commitment to strengthening relationships within the Commonwealth. His presence in Samoa and Australia is expected to bring attention to pressing environmental issues and solidify ties between these nations and the U.K.

"Focusing specifically around environmental issues, I think, will really play to his strengths and show that actually he has a really meaningful role he could play in the Commonwealth," Whitelock said. "And I think he knows that and will absolutely relish that."