Incoming Governor-General Sam Mostyn meets with King Charles at Buckingham Palace

King Charles has met with Australia’s Governor-General Designate Sam Mostyn to ‘get to know’ her, amid plans for his upcoming tour.

With a smile and a firm handshake, King Charles III greeted Australia’s Governor-General Designate Sam Mostyn at Buckingham Palace where he set time aside to “connect” with her.

As the King continues to plan for his first royal tour of Australia as reigning monarch later this year, Palace aides arranged an open audience to allow him to “get to know” Ms Mostyn, a former Republican who is in England ahead of officially taking up her position as Australia’s 28th Governor-General on Saturday.

King Charles III meets Governor-General Designate of the Commonwealth of Australia, Sam Mostyn during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture: AFP

Last month King Charles, 75, accepted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recommendation to appoint the business and community leader to the role, elevating her to a position as the second woman to serve in the post.

“Ms Mostyn is in the UK ahead of her start date and this was an opportunity for the King to connect with her,” a Palace source said after Wednesday’s meeting.

“We never discuss what takes place at these meetings, but the King meets all governor-generals to go over their credentials and this was a chance for His Majesty to meet with the new Australian governor-general one-to-one at his royal residence.

“He very much wanted to meet with her,” the source added.

King Charles was also on Wednesday expected to meet with outgoing Governor-General David Hurley in July to discuss his five years in office.

King Charles met with Sam Mostyn, a known republican who has referred to Australia Day as an “invasion.” Picture: Jordan Pettitt - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Ms Mostyn’s nomination in April raised eyebrows at the time among conservative circles after she previously tweeted that Australia Day was “a bloody invasion” that had to be “bloody discussed.”

After a long career advocating for women’s economic equality and climate action and serving on a variety of non-profit boards, she is expected to be sworn in at an official ceremony on Saturday July 1.

The Australian Monarchist League had earlier in the day expressed hope that the Governor-General Designate “reneges” her previous political leanings and took advantage of Wednesday’s meeting to discuss her intentions to be above reproach and politics during her time in office.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed that Ms Mostyn has reneged on her earlier stance as a republican now she is going to be the King’s representative in the country and to represent the Crown,” said Philip Benwell, chairman of the 62.000, strong pro-constitutional monarchy campaign group.

The Australian Monarchist League said the open meeting was an attempt by King Charles to get to know Ms Mostyn. Picture: Jordan Pettitt - WPA Pool/Getty Images

“We hope she will not do anything to promote a republic or undermine the high office she is going to hold.

“It’s difficult for the King because he has to accept the advice of the Prime Minister of the country and today he will have to keep his comments to himself, because the audience at Buckingham Palace is an open meeting.

“The King doesn’t know her, this is a chance for him to get know her.

“The King loves Australia and keen to maintain a strong link with us.

“We hope that Ms Mostyn behaves as a governor should; that is, not above reproach, above politics and be a Governor-General for all people,” he said.

King Charles was diagnosed with a form of cancer in February and postponed all public engagements as he underwent treatment.

He is expected to tour the Commonwealth realm for the first time as reigning monarch as part of a broader trip to Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October in Samoa.

He last toured Australia in 2018 to open the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, but has not visited the country since 2011 when Queen Elizabeth II toured Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.