King Charles relaxes at a luxurious Indian spa retreat, costing £3,000 a week, popular among celebrities.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have enjoyed a secret spa break after their demanding trip to Australia and Samoa.

The couple broke up the arduous journey back from the South Pacific island of Samoa by heading to India, where they enjoyed several days at the Soukya resort known for its wellness programmes and Ayurvedic treatments.

A raft of celebrities are known to have stayed at the £3,000-a-week resort near Bangalore including Oscar winner Emma Thompson and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The spa location is understood to be well-known to Charles and Camilla with them both having visited several times before. In fact, Camilla is also understood spent a few days at the resort earlier this month too, prior to heading to Australia for the start of the tour.

Guests at the resort start their days with morning yoga, which is followed by rejuvenation treatments and a vegetarian lunch. They also get to enjoy further therapies in the afternoon followed by meditation and dinner with lights out at 9pm.

Royal sources said the stopover was not connected to the King’s ongoing treatment for cancer, although doctors have advised the monarch to include appropriate periods of rest as part of the overall long distances covered for the royal tour of Australia and Samoa earlier this month. The couple returned to the UK on a commercial flight and the King will resume his treatment cycle on return to the UK.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Their Majesties had a short private stopover in India to help break the long journey back from Samoa. They return to the UK this morning.”