Everything you need to know about King Charles’ Royal Australian Tour 2024
From the big events to the little details, including traffic changes, here’s everything you need to know about King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal Australian tour.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla fly in to Sydney for their short Australian tour in the evening of Friday 18 October.
Become an informed royal watcher with this quick guide to the trip – and scroll to the bottom of the page for a full list of special event clearways in Sydney.
All times are in AEDT.
What is planned for the royal tour?
Friday 18 October: NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Governor Margaret Beazley are expected to greet King Charles and Queen Camilla when they land in Sydney on Friday evening.
Saturday 19 October: Officially the royal couple have no events planned for the Saturday, in order to recuperate from the long flight, although it has been strongly rumoured that they will appear at the Everest at Royal Randwick, especially for the King Charles III Stakes at 5.35pm.
Sunday 20 October: Another relatively quiet day for the royal couple, although a Sunday church attendance is a standard part of any royal tour. The King and Queen are also expected to partake in high-level meetings in the afternoon.
Monday 21 October: The Royal Couple will be in Canberra, where they will visit the Australian War Memorial and be welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese along with Indigenous leaders. Expect to see a few sporting types, maybe an Olympic medallist or two, at the Parliament House reception.
Tuesday 22 October: Back in Sydney, the King and Queen will attend a multicultural barbecue in Parramatta showcasing produce from across NSW. Later in the day they will head back to the Sydney Opera House from where they will review our Naval fleet.
In Sydney the King will meet Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO, the currents Australians of the Year, to discuss their world-leading melanoma research, while the Queen will visit a Sydney library to meet students and authors.
Wednesday 23 October: King Charles and Queen Camilla depart for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
When and where can you see the King and Queen?
In Canberra on Monday:
– at the Australian War Memorial around 12.35pm, when the King and Queen inspect the For Our Country memorial on the western grounds. Spectators are asked to assemble no later than 11.45am.
– at the forecourt of Parliament House, for a Ceremonial Welcome at 1pm, and then again at 2.10pm, when the King and Queen are expected to say hello to a few members of the public. Spectators are asked to assemble before 12.10pm.
In Sydney on Tuesday:
– at the Opera House forecourt at 4.20pm, and at the nearby Man O’War Steps at 4.50pm, where the royal couple will board the Admiral Hudson vessel ahead of the naval review. Spectators are asked to assemble at the Sydney Opera House by 4pm, but viewing may also be possible from Farm Cove, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
Frequent visitors
This will be the King’s 17th visit to Australia, and the fourth he has undertaken with his wife, the couple having visited in 2012, 2015, and most recently 2018, when they attended the Commonwealth Games.
Media and public interest in the visit is expected to be high, given this will be the couple’s first tour since they were crowned in 2023. It’s certainly expected to generate more interest than Charles’s trip in 2005, when crowds at his public events were reported to be as low as 200.
The last time Australia was visited by a sitting British monarch was Queen Elizabeth’s last trip here, in 2011.
Why has it taken so long for the King to tour Australia?
Since his coronation in May 2023, the King has not had much time for many trips: just quick official visits to France, Kenya, the UAE (for the COP28 conference) and a private holiday to his residences in Romania.
And since the revelation in January that he was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, he has only taken one quick overseas visit, a day trip to France to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations for the battle of Normandy.
Health concerns for King Charles:
The trip will be the first multi-day official trip Charles has made since his cancer disclosure in January.
Originally a longer trip to Australia had been envisaged, but it was cut back on medical advice.
The King’s weekly cancer treatments will be paused for the 11-day trip, while The Times reported that two doctors will be travelling with the royal party.
Queen Camilla is also reported to dislike travelling long distances. Their first full day in Sydney has been cleared of engagements to aid recuperation.
How much will the trip cost taxpayers?
We’ll find out how much the Royal Tour costs after the event, but previous visits can offer some guide. The four-day tour by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018 cost an estimated $1 million, including $57,663 for 15 RAAF flights.
What happens after the visit?
On Wednesday October 23, the Royal Couple will fly on to Samoa (a journey of nearly seven hours), where King Charles will formally open the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, his first as sovereign. He will also host a reception for new heads of government and attend a forum for business leaders.
Charles and Camilla return to Britain on October 26.
Traffic changes in Sydney
Sydney locals and visitors are advised that clearways will apply in many areas during the course of the royal visit. Clearways are enforced strictly, with no exceptions for local residents or mobility scheme permit holders.
Vehicles left behind in signposted clearways will be towed and a fee applies. For more information visit livetraffic.com.
Kirribilli
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in Kirribilli from 5pm Friday October 18 to 11:30am Wednesday October 23 on sections of Carabella Street and Kirribilli Avenue.
North Sydney
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in North Sydney on Sunday October 20 from 4am to 12:30pm on Church Street. Church Street and Kelrose Lane will also be closed on Sunday October 20 from 6am to 12:30pm.
Milsons Point
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in Milsons Point from 7am to 10am daily from Sunday October 20 to Wednesday October 23 on a section of Olympic Drive.
Sydney CBD
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in the Sydney CBD on Sunday October 20 from 9:30am to 1pm on a section of Macquarie Street, and on Tuesday October 22 from 1pm to 5:30pm on a section of Macquarie Street.
Redfern
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in Redfern on Tuesday October 22 from 7:30am to 12pm on sections of George Street and Philip Street.
Surry Hills
Special event clearways will be effect on roads in Surry Hills on Tuesday October 22 from 8am to 12pm on sections of Crown Street.
Glebe
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in Glebe on Tuesday October 22 from 8:30am to 12:30pm on sections of Cowper Street, Mitchell Lane East, Mitchell Street, Park Lane, Wentworth Park Road and Wentworth Street.
Zetland
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in Zetland on Tuesday October 22 from 8:30am to 12:30pm on sections of Tweed Place and the shared zone between Tweed Place and Paul Street. Tweed Place and the shared zone will also be closed on Tuesday October 22 from 10:30am to 12:30pm.
Wollstonecraft
Special event clearways will be in effect on roads in Wollstonecraft on Tuesday October 22 from 12:30pm to 4:30pm on sections of Sinclair Street. A section of Sinclair Street will also be closed on Tuesday October 22 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.
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Originally published as Everything you need to know about King Charles’ Royal Australian Tour 2024
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