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| King Charles III speaks to Governor-General Sam Mostyn as he and Queen Camilla arrive at Sydney International Airport (AAP Image/Pool, Brook Mitchell) |
By Luke Costin and Caitlin Powell in Sydney
October 19, 2024
After arriving in damp conditions, King Charles and Queen Camilla have been spotted strolling in the sunshine on the first day of their trip to Australia.
The royal couple were photographed on Saturday taking a sunny walk at Admiralty House on the banks of Sydney Harbour during their day of rest before the start of official events.
Rumours suggested the King could also discreetly appear at Royal Randwick in time for one of the world’s most lucrative horse races, the $20 million Everest.
But officials quashed speculation of a change to the carefully curated schedule of events.
The royal couple touched down at Sydney Airport at 8.40pm on Friday, emerging from the plane just as a downpour ceased, and were greeted by a group of dignitaries including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Among the welcoming crowd, beaming away, was Ky, a 12-year-old boy who got his wish to meet the royals.
Ky offered a posy of red waratahs to Queen Camilla and discussed the arrangement with Her Majesty before the royal couple stepped into a waiting vehicle.
“She liked the flowers a lot,” he said. “I was slightly nervous but I was also excited.”
Ky told ABC News his friends were “shocked” that he would be meeting the royal couple: “They didn’t believe me but now they do.”
He said he has always been a fan of the royals after his father bought him Royal Family toys during trips to England.
Whether or not the King and Queen Camilla peered right as they travelled over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Friday, images of the royal couple stared back at them from the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
A four-minute looping photo montage, taking in their prior Australian trips, had been meant to kick off 30 minutes before the monarch arrived.
But the delayed departure of a cruise ship, coincidentally named Queen Elizabeth, held up the display until minutes before the couple sped through the city.
The whistle-stop tour, pared back to account for the King’s health, will keep the royals busy with formal dinners, wreath laying, and hand-shaking during their tour of Sydney and Canberra.
This includes a naval fleet review at Sydney Harbour on Tuesday, ahead of which the Australian Defence Force appointed King Charles with a series of honorary ranks.
The sovereign received three titles: Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Australian Navy, Field Marshal of the Australian Army, and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force.
Chief of the Defence Force Admiral David Johnston said the ranks reflected Australia’s close relationship with the King.
“The Sovereign serves as an example of service, and His Majesty’s appointments are symbolic of the Royal Family’s longstanding dedication and relationship with the nation,” he said.
The five-day trip is the first time a King of Australia has set foot on the nation’s shores, with Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 1954 the first by a reigning monarch.
She last visited in 2011, making the latest trip by King Charles – his first since ascending to the throne in 2022 – a delight for monarchists.
The 75-year-old sovereign and his wife met with the Prime Minister and his fiancee Jodie Haydon, prior to formally commencing their tour on Sunday when they will attend a service at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney.
In a social media post Mr Albanese offered them a “warm welcome back to Australia”.
“Their Majesties have a deep regard for Australia, and this visit will be an opportunity to showcase the very best of our modern and dynamic nation,” he said.
Members of the public will have multiple chances to glimpse Australia’s new monarch at iconic sites including the Australian War Memorial, federal parliament and the Sydney Opera House on Monday and Tuesday.
First published at Canberra City News, via Australian Associated Press, October 19, 2024
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