King Charles’s Australia tour – and why it nearly did not happen

Royal tours require precision planning. There is a choreography to them and a check list of moments to hit – parliaments, dignitaries, military, environment and culture.

On paper, the Australia element of this trip is traditional and safe territory. But it is also significantly different from what has gone before.

The King first visited Australia in 1966 as a 17-year-old starting two terms of teaching experience at a private school in Victoria. He returns as a 75-year-old monarch receiving treatment for cancer, towards the end of a year during which he has faced immense personal challenges.

His public life has been restrained, restricted by illness. And although his schedule became busier as he progressed with his treatment, he then retreated to the solace of Balmoral for a summer break and to prepare for this trip.

“How’s the King doing?” is a question I have been asked repeatedly this year – and it’s been tricky to answer at times.

The coming days will allow us to see the King at work day after day. Up close, a head of state, King of Australia.

This tour is are big showcase for the monarchy, and monarchies need to be seen – even more so in a country where an Australian republic has been an active topic of political debate in recent times. The optics matter for Buckingham Palace.

A King looking well, engaging with the public, managing a full timetable of events, doing some soft diplomacy and embracing what Australia and Samoa have to offer is the goal.

Getting here hasn’t been easy. But there is confidence from royal aides that this visit will give a strong sense of normal service resuming.