King Charles and Queen Camilla rumoured to be planning New Zealand tour in 2024

It seems New Zealand is in for a royal visit in 2024.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported this morning that Aotearoa is set to see a visit from the monarch himself with King Charles and Queen Camilla scheduled to visit Australia and New Zealand in October next year.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a former diplomat who has been in contact with the 75-year-old King, told the Australian news outlet, “King Charles is planning to visit Australia and New Zealand in October.” He continued to say the visit will coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Samoa.

Held every two years, Chogm 2024 has been pencilled in to start on October 21 and is expected to run for one week. Newshub reported the bi-annual event brings together 56 developed and developing nations including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and Malaysia.

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While the news is yet to be confirmed by Australian and New Zealand officials, a source in Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald stating the trip is yet to be confirmed but that it is “very possible it will happen”.

“It would be next October, it’s very possible it will happen. It would be around the time of Chogm that he would come, either before or after, that would make sense” that source said.

It will make the first time Charles has visited New Zealand during his reign as King and follows the recent trip of his brother, Prince Edward who quietly visited the country last month to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

Edward was welcomed with a mihi whakatau at Blue Light in Papakura, and went on to meet more than 60 young Aucklanders taking part in the award as they showed off their high ropes, camping and basketball skills.

The prince then surprised some young Kiwis on a 10-day sailing trip for the New Zealand Spirits Awards, travelling out to their boat with the Coastguard before boarding.

New Zealand last saw a visit from a monarch in February 2002 when the late Queen Elizabeth visited the country. Charles himself has visited Aotearoa 10 times between 1970 and 2019.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.