Best photos of the King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal tour
From an unexpected kiss to getting sneezed on by an alpaca, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Aussie tour had some fun twists. See the highlights as captured by our photographers.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla wrapped up their whirlwind royal tour in Australia with one final wave as they ascended the stairs to their RAAF plane together.
Their Majesties were here for five nights and packed in an array of events across Sydney and Canberra.
They arrived at Sydney Airport on Friday night to pouring rain but left on a spectacularly sunny day on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at some of the highlights from their Australian tour.
BEST OF TUESDAY
A huge crowd gathered at the Opera House in Sydney to greet King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The King moved through the crowd, going from side to side as thousands cheered his name trying to catch his attention.
As he swapped sides, hands emerged ready to shake those of a King.
“It’s an honour to meet you”, a group of three teen boys wearing Australian flags said.
A group of Australians broke into a rendition of “God Save The King”, something that drew Charles’ attention. He crossed the path, joining Camilla, and then shaking hands with those who had been singing.
The royals walked over to a group of students made up of pupils from multiple schools across Sydney who performed a vibrant dance routine to the song “Follow Your Dreams” by Ocean Lim.
The King and Queen watched on, applauding the children at the end of their routine, as the young dancers yelled a collective “thank you” to the monarch for watching on.
“King Charles, King Charles,” chants filled the air.
“Thank you for coming to Australia,” yelled another as the King made his way to the end of the walkway.
The King and Queen made their way over to a nearby boat, ready for their next engagement on the harbour, an inspection of the Navy Fleet.
Earlier in the day, Their Majesties kicked off their Australian royal tour with another day in Sydney — where they had a turn at cooking snags on the barbie at the Surf Lifesaver’s BBQ.
The King picked up the sausages and the queen poked at them, before both jokingly snapped the tongs and handed them back. The King was presented with a framed life saver’s hat. “Break glass in case of emergency,” he said.
In a speech, he praised the “top tucker” at the stalls he inspected and said Parramatta was a perfect spot to have such a gathering, as that is where the indigenous people of the area used to gather, too.
“It is no wonder, I think, that Sydney is world famous for its cuisine, whether it’s smashed avo, a pac or a cab sat, and that is what I hope has been on display,” he said, before getting briefly lost in his notes in a brief awkward moment.
“So bring here in Western Sydney also gives me an opportunity see first hand what I have heard about before, and that is the Parramatta and the region around it has become one of the most dynamic, enterprising and culturally diverse communities in the world.”
The Queen also had a random meeting with a local parrot.
Caesar the King met Camilla the Queen on the streets of Surry Hills and offered a cordial if squawky hello.
In a suburb known for its local characters, 18-year-old Caesar and his owner Peter Gawrosnki are well known. But the bird had to go through a short vetting process - so to speak - with royal aides before he got his big moment.
When Queen Camilla emerged on to Crown St after a 30-minute visit to OzHarvest Reffotorio she took the opportunity to meet a few well-wishers - and then it was Caesar’s turn.
After a few silent moments, Caesar said “Hello” and the crowd laughed in delight. As did Queen Camilla.
While the visit to the Surry Hills eatery was largely kept under wraps, the crowd had swelled to at least 200 by the time Queen Camilla was whisked off to her next engagement.
King Charles visited the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern, a not-for-profit social enterprise that works to serve the community, build capacity and create opportunities for First Nations peoples.
As the Queen met authors Liane Moriarty and Thomas Keneally at the library, the King was given a guided tour by NSW Premier Chris Minns of the Cowper Street Development, a NSW Government sustainable affordable housing project in Glebe.
BEST OF MONDAY
King Charles had a bizarre encounter an unusual social media star during the royal’s meet and greet in Canberra.
In a hilarious moment that could have had the King reaching for his antibacterial hand gel, an alpaca sneezed over the monarch.
Social media star Hephner the Alpaca, whose owners raise funds for the charity Dolly’s Dream, had royal fans giggling with his unscripted moment.
It came after Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Serena Williams welcomed the King and Queen on the tarmac upon their arrival in Canberra with a traditional smoking ceremony.
But there was a moment of surprise for the royals when Aunty Serena offered European-style kisses on both cheeks for the arrivals.
BEST OF SUNDAY
BEST OF SATURDAY
BEST OF FRIDAY
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Originally published as Best photos of the King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal tour
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