King Charles and Queen Camilla to arrive in Australia on October 18
Buckingham Palace has finalised the details of the monarchs’ trip to Australia, with a jam-packed schedule featuring visits to several famous landmarks.
NSW
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The best of the “Australian spirit” will be on show when King Charles and Queen Camilla visit Australia next month.
The pair’s jam-packed schedule will include visits to our famous landmarks, the Sydney Opera House and Parliament House in Canberra, and a tasting of NSW’s finest produce at a community barbecue.
The monarchs, who will spend six days Down Under in the King’s first long-haul trip following his February cancer diagnosis, will arrive on Friday, October 18.
Anthony Albanese said Australians were looking forward to welcoming the King and Queen back to Sydney and Canberra.
“The Royal Visit is an opportunity to showcase the best of Australia – our rich culture, our sense of community, and contributions to science, research and global progress,” the Prime Minister said.
“His Majesty first visited Australia in 1966, and has a strong personal affection for our nation.
“We are delighted that His Majesty is recovering well and has made visiting Australia once again a priority.”
In Sydney, the King and Queen will tour Royal Australian Navy ships, and celebrate Australia’s diversity at the barbecue with multicultural groups.
His Majesty will also learn about groundbreaking cancer research, led by Australians of the Year Prof Georgina Long and Prof Richard Scolyer, and discuss the work Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are doing to strengthen culture and support their communities.
The Queen will meet children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop and visit a library.
On the Monday in Canberra, Mr Albanese will welcome the pair to Parliament House, where they will attend a reception with Australia’s top health, arts, culture and sporting stars, politicians and community leaders.
They will also pay their respects at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens, where the King – who has a green thumb – will discuss the global impacts of climate change with staff and volunteers.
The King will visit scientists at the CSIRO who are working on the impact of bushfires in Australia, while the Queen will attend talks on family and domestic violence, and meet representatives from online donation platform GIVIT.
It will be the King’s 16th visit to Australia but his first since becoming Australia’s head of state after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
He and Queen Camilla last toured Australia in 2018 to open the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, while the last major working royal to visit our shores was Princess Anne in 2022.
Philip Benwell, chairman of the 62.000, strong pro-constitutional monarchy campaign group, heralded the King’s anticipated visit saying it was “brave” given he is still in treatment and revealed he needs to rest every 45 minutes.
“We knew it would be very short visit,” he said.
“I have been invited to a reception at Parliament House in Canberra.
“There was a dinner scheduled for the 21st but the people around the king thought to would be better to have a reception as it would not have put such a strain on his majesty as a formal dinner.
“Due to his treatment it was understood his majesty needs to rest after every 45 minutes or so.
“We’re delighted that his majesty is coming, it’s brave of him to continue with the visit due to his con going treatment. We’re certain it will be a tremendous success,” he said.
A royal source said the king is under strict instructions not to spend more than six days on the tour and to exert himself after his battle with cancer.
“He is deeply keen to return to Australia where he studied and spent some of his childhood years,” a palace source explained said.
“The King loves Australia but his medical team have advised him not to push limits and to pace himself.
“This program has been especially scaled back and devised to ensure his continued recovery from cancer.”
They will then head to Samoa to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting with 56 other leaders from across Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Africa.
jade.gailberger@news.com.au
Originally published as King Charles and Queen Camilla to arrive in Australia on October 18
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