King Charles holds talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of upcoming meeting
King Charles held a call with Justin Trudeau ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which is taking place next month.
The monarch will meet with the Canadian Prime Minister and other leaders of the 56-strong block in Samoa from October 21 to 25.
It will be the first full Commonwealth summit held since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the first presided over by Charles.
It is also the first time that a small Pacific island state will host the meeting.
The meeting will operate under the headline “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming Our Common Wealth” and seeks to foster cooperation in transforming economies while addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
In Charles’s very first Commonwealth Day message as King, in March 2023, he said of the Commonwealth: “Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold.”
Buckingham Palace announced the monarch will travel to the Pacific Island, as well as Australia, from October 18 to 26.
It marks his first major international trip following his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
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“Their Majesties The King and Queen will undertake an Autumn Tour from Friday 18th – Saturday 26th October 2024.
“This will include a Royal Visit to Australia, State Visit to The Independent State of Samoa and attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024,” the Palace said in a statement.
Charles last spoke to Tredeau on a call back in March, shortly after he announced his cancer diagnosis.
The King was pictured sitting in front of a computer screen at Buckingham Palace as he spoke with the Canadian Prime Minister. The call came after the monarch had postponed all public-facing duties to focus on his treatment.
Whilst in Australia during the tour, the sovereign is set to meet with two pioneering medical experts in melanoma treatment.
“The King, who has this year been receiving treatment for cancer, will meet Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, both Australians of the Year, and will hear about the work they do to help those affected by melanoma, one of Australia’s most common cancers,” the Palace outlined.
Long and Scolyer are both professors at the University of Sydney and co-medical directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia. They won the award together for their work to save lives from skin cancer.