King Charles is about to embark on an overseas trip to Australia—a major trip considering he’s currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and one that will definitely have an impact on optics. Annnnnd apparently there’s concern about media coverage while he’s away.
According to a former royal staffer speaking to the Daily Beast, British media traveling with the king in the royal rota “aren’t too much of a problem—they aren’t going to say anything controversial about Charles’ health unless he literally falls down dead in the street.” However, media in Australia aren’t “operating under the same kind of restrictions” and “if anything goes wrong on the tour—from a bad trip or fall to a canceled engagement or God forbid, an early exit—they will go to town on it, and the British omertà will probably then evaporate in its wake.”
The anon royal aide adds that “It’s all about proving he isn’t dying, to be blunt. The problem is that if anything goes wrong, people will leap to the opposite conclusion. It’s make-or-break for Charles, I think.”
Nothing to say but…yikes. Meanwhile, Queen Camila has expressed doubts about King Charles doing too much given his health. A source close to Her Majesty previously told the Daily Beast that “She wants him to slow down, she is afraid he is working too hard, and that’s before you even get to the Australia tour.”
Welp. Guess we’ll see what happens but fingers cross the trip goes smoothly.
