King Charles Reflected on His Mortality During His Final Speech in Samoa

"We shall take away with us very special memories of our time here."

On the final day of their royal tour of Australia and Samoa, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a traditional Ava ceremony in the village of Siumu. According to the Daily Mail, the king capped off the trip with an emotional speech and got uncharacteristically frank about his health and his age, telling the audience that he would love to return to the island of Samoa, but also admitted that he has a few hurdles to overcome before it can happen again. Charles is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and is 75 years old—and while he'd love to visit every country in the Commonwealth, he shared earlier in the trip that his medical team told him it probably wouldn't happen.

In Siumu, Charles was given the honorary title of To'aiga-o-Tumua and during a colorful ceremony, he opened up about his time in the country.

"I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you," Charles said. "We shall take away with us, I promise you, very special memories of our time here. We thank you for our wonderful gifts."

Later, the village chief told Charles, "Your papa Prince Philip was here, so were your brothers. So, thank you for making the time. Your royal visit has lifted our house."

King Charles wrapped up his trip with a message to the Samoan people, speaking about the country's hospitality and the unforgettable memories he and Camilla had collected, saying, "We've been so impressed by the beautiful way in which all the villages have decorated the roadsides, it is something very special about Samoa."

The Daily Mail adds that Buckingham Palace sees the tour as a success, reporting, "[Charles's] Australia and Samoa tour was seen by Buckingham Palace as a huge test of his reign—and surpassed all expectations." Meanwhile, as the king and queen return home, insiders say that both of them will be taking it easy for a bit and relaxing before getting back to royal duties.

"At Queen Camilla's urging, he has been taking some downtime by reading a 'great' new book," the Daily Mail adds. "The king feels closer to his wife than ever. The couple are a 'remarkable unit,' courtiers say, and she has kept it 'real' for him."