King Charles Is Taking It Global in 2025—but No Plans With Trump This Year

King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Scotland for an extended holiday break, but they are already planning for an incredibly busy year. Sources in Scotland say the royals are in residence at Birkhall House on the Balmoral Estate for a break before they resume official duties later this month.

The king, who will return to London for weekly cancer treatment, is said to be “greatly looking forward to” resuming a busy diary once he has enjoyed the New Year break at Birkhall. His doctors are said to be delighted at the progress he has made and what he is capable of doing. Queen Camilla, who suffered from a serious case of pneumonia before Christmas, is said to be much better.

“The king will be very engaged, he is very much looking forward to a year of anniversaries and special occasions,” a royal source tells Vanity Fair. “Of course the king’s health is factored into every plan being made, but the side effects of his treatment have been manageable and he is determined to continue working at pace. He has so much he wants to achieve this year.”

The couple traveled to Scotland following the family Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. While Queen Elizabeth II traditionally stayed at Sandringham until February, King Charles has established a new tradition by heading to Aberdeenshire. While he is officially on vacation, he is continuing his desk work and reading his state papers and preparing for his official return to work later this month.

“This is their traditional New Year break. The diary program is locked and loaded until the end of the summer and it’s shaping up to be a very busy year,” adds the source. “Their Royal Highnesses will remain principally based in Scotland for the majority of this month, then head to Sandringham for February when their official program picks up with gusto.”

2025 will see the royal couple host a state visit to the UK and carry out at least two overseas tours, one of which will reportedly take place in Italy in the Spring. Vanity Fair can reveal there is a possibility King Charles will travel to Brazil to attend the UN’s annual climate change conference, COP30, in November. He was unable to attend the 2024’s climate change conference in Azerbaijan, but he is said to be keen to attend this year’s conference, COP30, which runs from November 10 to 21 in Belém, Brazil.

While details of the tours and state visits have yet to be announced by Buckingham Palace, a visit by incoming President Donald Trump is said to be on the back burner until 2026, and reports that the couple are to visit India and Pakistan are said to be inaccurate. The king and queen were hoping to visit Canada, an important realm, but plans for the royals to visit have been shelved due to the upcoming federal election. according to insiders, a visit from President Trump is more likely to take place in 2026, because of the logistics involved with planning a US state visit.

“Expect to see two, possibly three overseas tours—it’s going to be a busy year with outward and inward state visits,” says a well-placed source. “The recent Qatari state visit illustrated that a state visit can very successfully be condensed into a two day program and can be adapted if needs be.”

Later this month, the king will travel to Poland for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz. The monarch, who last visited the camp in 2020 when he was Prince of Wales, will join representatives from 20 different countries on January 27 for the historic occasion, which will likely be the last event of its kind to be attended by Holocaust survivors. King Charles will become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz. The late Queen Elizabeth II made her final foreign trip in 2005 when she visited Bergen-Belsen.

Palace aides say Charles is likely to travel alone, although other members of the royal family will also be marking the occasion. “It will be the first landmark moment of the year,” the source tells VF. “The head of state is likely to travel solo, but all of the family will be finding ways to engage with the national and international events to mark the day.”

International diplomacy will be the focus of King Charles’s diary for the year. “The king recognizes how important these tours and visits are for the country,” says a well-placed source. There are massive advantages to state visits and frankly the outcomes are phenomenal, so the king wants to maximize these opportunities. Supporting national interest is key and a state visit by America will be very significant when it happens. It’s unlikely to happen this year though because it normally needs a six month run up and the diary is already busy until the end of the summer.”

Other highlights of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s calendar will include Commonwealth Day which the king plans to attend in person this year, Maundy Service and Royal Ascot as well as Trooping the Colour, the Monarch’s official birthday celebration in June, and anniversaries of VE and VJ Day. Meanwhile, there are two milestone family birthdays including the Duchess of Edinburgh’s 60th on January 20, and Princess Anne’s 75th birthday in August. “These will be low key by request,” reveals a royal source. “The birthdays will be marked with pictures but as always, they prefer the spotlight to be on others.”

The king will also mark the 35th anniversary of the King’s Foundation and the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust). The international arm of the organization also celebrates its first decade. He is keen for the work of the King’s Foundation to be highlighted, and there will be various media projects, documentaries, receptions and public messages around the charities the king supports.