King Charles III will visit Australia amid arguments over a snub from politicians and calls to make it his "farewell tour."

King Charles, the only British monarch who has spent time living in Australia, arrives on Friday for his inaugural visit to an overseas realm as sovereign, his first major foreign trip since being diagnosed with cancer.

It is the first time since Charles assumed the throne that he will visit one of the 14 countries outside the U.K. where he is head of state.