Sarah Ferguson has “regretfully” axed her upcoming Australia visit after King Charles announced his royal tour.
The 64-year-old had been due to visit Australia in October to attend the Festival of Fiction as a special guest.
However, a statement shared on the Festival’s social media read: “With regret, Sarah, Duchess of York has decided to withdraw from the Festival of Fiction, so as not to distract or detract in any way from the tour of Australia by His Majesty the King, which has recently been announced.
“Due to exceptional demand, she will be returning to Perth on November 1st at 6.30pm for a special event at Joondalup Resort and apologises to anyone who is inconvenienced by the change of date.”
Sarah Ferguson axes Australia visitGettyAccording to the Festival’s website, the mother-of-two “will be discussing her prolific career as an author of over 50 books and telling us about her latest exciting new projects.”
Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that Their Majesties will travel to Australia and Somoa in the autumn.
The King, 75, and Queen, 77, will visit Australia at the invitation of the Australian Government.
Their programme will feature engagements in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.
Meanwhile, their State Visit to Samoa will celebrate the strong bilateral relationship between the Pacific Island nation and the UK.
Regarding their visit to Australia, a Palace spokesperson said: “Their Majesties will visit the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Samoa.
“The King’s doctors have advised that a further extension to Their Majesties’ trip should be avoided at this time, to prioritise His Majesty’s continued recovery.
“As with all His Majesty’s recent engagements, his programme in both countries will be subject to doctors’ advice, and any necessary modifications on health grounds.”
The King and Queen will be visiting Australia this upcoming autumn
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Sarah Ferguson has been present at several recent royal eventsPA
The King and Queen’s visit will be the first trip to Oceania by a reigning monarch since 2011.
The late Queen Elizabeth II last visited Australia 13 years ago.
As the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Charles and Camilla last visited Australia in 2018.
They were representing the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Commonwealth Games.