Riverland flood: King Charles III offers sympathies to SA during Governor Frances Adamson audience at Buckingham Palace
The King has expressed his concern about the Riverland’s escalating flood crisis during a landmark meeting with South Australia’s Governor at Buckingham Palace.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The King has expressed his concern about the Riverland’s escalating flood crisis during a landmark meeting with South Australia’s Governor at Buckingham Palace.
Frances Adamson, a former London diplomat, had the first Australian in-person audience at the Palace with the King of any of the country’s vice-regal officers since his accession.
The 30 minute meeting, which occurred on Thursday afternoon London time (early Friday morning Adelaide time), came during Ms Adamson’s first trade visit to Britain as Governor.
While specific details of the talks are confidential, Ms Adamson, 64 – on her second foreign trip in a month – discussed a range of topics with the King, including the River Murray floods.
In a statement, Ms Adamson, who attended with her husband Rod Bunten, said she was “honoured” to have the audience.
“His Majesty, the King, expressed his sympathy regarding the flooding in South Australia,” Ms Adamson said.
SA agent general David Ridgway added: “The King had asked how communities along the Murray River were coping with the floods.
“He seemed very concerned and said it’s a pity in any other circumstance we could have reused the flood water for other purposes.”
His Majesty was presented with a maquette of a statute of the Queen, which stands in the grounds of Government House, Adelaide, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said.
It was due to be handed to the Queen but instead the King warmly received a bronze maquette of his late mother by a South Australian sculptor and declared, “Goodness me, it’s great.”
The Queen had agreed to sit for the original life size statue for 15-minutes at Windsor Castle during the pandemic. Mr Hannaford bought a plane ticket, and ended up with more than twice as long as he’d been allotted to sketch the former monarch in a gold room off the Green Drawing Room.
Her majesty was said to have been “very pleased” with the finished product gracing the grounds of Government House in Adelaide.
The statue is South Australia’s first of Queen Elizabeth II – and only the third in the nation – and was crafted by leading SA artist Robert Hannaford.
Private donors who had funded the maquette including Coutts bank CEO Peter Flavel joined Mr Ridgway and former agent general Bill Muirhead for the private audience with the king where the maquette was unveiled.
“The King loved it, he said it great, and seemed really chuffed with it but he agreed we should take it back and place it in the office at the High Commission in London where we can look at her majesty,” said Mr Ridgeway.
“It’s a tribute to the long-reigning monarch and the only other statues of her by SA’s John Dowie, were at Parliament House in Canberra and Government House in Brisbane dating from the 1980s.”
“The King had asked how communities along the Murray River were coping with the floods, he seemed very concerned and said it’s a pity in any other circumstance we could have reused the flood water for other purposes,” Mr Ridgway said.
Ms Adamson, the country’s former chief diplomat, has met the King on several occasions when he was the Prince of Wales, including when she was posted to the Australian Embassy as deputy High Commissioner almost two decades ago.
During her two stints in Britain she was also acting Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Last month, the King, who is known for his affection to Australia, had an audience with Victoria’s Governor Linda Dessau at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Last week, the King and his wife, Camilla, the Queen consort, expressed sympathies on the Victorian floods.
“It is with great concern that my wife and I have followed the news of the terrible floods in recent weeks in Victoria,” he wrote.
“Our heartfelt thoughts are with all those affected and for the losses that have been suffered.”
The King expressed similar concern for NSW this week.
The Queen, who also reigned over the Commonwealth including Australia, died in early September. She was 96.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-general David Hurley both met the King during their British visit for the Queen’s funeral in late September.
The King visited South Australia in 2015 with his wife, the Queen consort.
The state government say Ms Adamson’s 10-day visit to the United Kingdom and Japan will help “build on longstanding relationships and explore opportunities in the space, hydrogen, digital technologies, education and export sectors”.
The Governor, accompanied by her husband Rod Bunten, arrived in London on Wednesday, before a series of meetings with various government officials and industry leaders.
She discussed defence and quantum technology sectors that help “promote South Australia’s economy and advanced trade investment”, her spokeswoman said.
Ms Adamson, who served as deputy High Commissioner of Australia from 2005 to 2008 during an almost, will work also to further advance South Australia’s interests in the wine export market.
“The Governor is expected to enter discussions with stakeholders ahead of the binding treaty action to bring the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement into force,” the spokeswoman said.
“When implemented, the agreement will see more than 99 per cent of Australian goods exports enter the UK duty free.
Latest figures show South Australian merchandise exports to the United Kingdom was $409.5m.
Wine, sheep and meat, electrical machinery and medicinal and pharmaceutical products are among the top exports.
Earlier this month, the Governor visited Vietnam and Singapore.
More Coverage
Join the conversation
Broken jaw, lost teeth: Shearer locked up for sickening attack
A father will be behind bars for several years after he launched a brutal hammer attack on a man who showed up to his house, rather than calling the police.
Read more
1300 new homes as major housing development expands
More than 70 hectares of land will be turned into a massive new residential estate in Adelaide’s north in the hopes it will help ease the housing crisis. See footage.
Read more