King Charles's Surprise Overseas Trip Is His First Since Cancer Diagnosis

Prince William was originally slated to attend instead.

King Charles has made his first overseas trip since beginning cancer treatment back in February. Yesterday, the King, along with his wife, Queen Camilla, traveled to Normandy in France, where he joined President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, for a ceremony in honor of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings during World War II.

During the event, Charles, who wore his traditional military uniform, laid a wreath at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-Sur-Mer before speaking to the crowd, many of whom were WWII veterans, about the historic operation that liberated France from German forces in 1944 and marked a turning point in the war.

Related: King Charles and Prince William Made a Surprise Appearance After Postponing Royal Duties

“How fortunate we were, and the entire free world, that a generation of men and women in the United Kingdom and other Allied nations did not flinch when the moment came to face that test,” said the monarch. “On the beaches of Normandy, on the seas beyond, and in the skies overhead, our armed forces carried out their duty with a humbling sense of resolve and determination."

He then paid tribute to the veterans, saying, “Our gratitude is unfailing, and our admiration eternal."

This surprise trip comes after Buckingham Palace reported that Prince William would be making the trip to Normandy in his father's place. William still traveled to France, where he attended a D-Day event with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in honor of Canadian World War II veterans.

Related: Is This Year's Trooping the Colour Canceled?

Although Charles' trip to Normandy marks his first international journey since his cancer treatment began, the monarch has been performing a somewhat scaled back schedule of royal duties in recent months. Just yesterday, the King joined Camilla and William, for a similar D-Day anniversary event in Portsmouth. The King is also expected to appear at the upcoming Trooping of the Colour celebration on June 15.

It is, however, unlikely that Charles or, indeed, any of the other royals will make many appearances before the British election on July 4. On May 22, Buckingham Palace issued a statement that the royals were intending to postpone events "which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign."

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