Why King Charles and Queen Camilla Left London Separately for Royal Tour

King Charles and Queen Camilla are a close couple, but they seem to have different takes on traveling.

On Oct. 18, the King, 75, and Queen, 77, touched down in Sydney to kick off their royal tour of Australia and Samoa. While the royals stepped off the plane together for a formal welcome, a close look at the Court Circular shows that King Charles left London on Oct. 17, and Queen Camilla’s name wasn’t mentioned in the entry. 

PEOPLE understands that the Queen left separately, breaking the 10,000 mile journey out from the U.K with a private vacation.

The royals’ individual travel plans can likely be cited to a simple reason — personal preference. Queen Camilla is said to have a fear of flying and has previously departed early for royal tours, breaking up the trips with a stop at a favorite spa. The Queen is known to go to the Soukya holistic health center near Bangalore, India, a residential medical institute focused on “healing, prevention or rejuvenation” through naturopathy, homeopathy, yoga, Ayurveda and more.

In October 2022, a British Airways plane that Queen Camilla reportedly traveled home from the spa on suffered damage after striking a bird in the skies. Though the Queen might not be a fan of flying, her working royal role sometimes calls for long-haul travel, like the major trip to Australia and Samoa.

King Charles, in contrast, worked during the week of the trip, heading to several events and meetings. The King’s schedule was no surprise, as the Queen has previously described her husband as a “complete workaholic“!

Looking ahead, King Charles and Queen Camilla will be on the go during their nine-day tour of Australia and Samoa. The visit is significant as their first tour of a Commonwealth realm of his royal reign and their furthest work trip from home following the King’s cancer diagnosis in February. 

While the royals would typically visit the Commonwealth country of New Zealand during a long-distance trip to this part of the world, the idea was ruled out on medical advice. In the July announcement about the King and Queen’s trip, a spokesperson said that a New Zealand leg was nixed as “the King’s doctors have advised that such an extended program should be avoided at this time, to prioritize His Majesty’s continued recovery.”

The tour of Australia will be relatively limited compared to previous visits, which the palace spokesperson cited is also due to the King’s ongoing recovery.

“The King’s doctors have advised that a further extension to Their Majesties’ trip should be avoided at this time, to prioritize His Majesty’s continued recovery,” the spokesperson said. “As with all His Majesty’s recent engagements, his program in both countries will be subject to doctors’ advice, and any necessary modifications on health grounds.”

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A September statement from the palace about the royal tour emphasized that the itineraries will highlight the best of both nations. 

“The King’s visit to Australia will be His Majesty’s first to a Realm as Monarch, whilst the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa is the first The King will attend as Head of the Commonwealth,” Buckingham Palace said about what to expect. “In both countries, Their Majesties’ engagements will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of The King and Queen’s work.”