King Charles and Queen Camilla will spend six days in Australia in October, it’s been revealed, as new details of their upcoming royal tour emerge.
The couple will hold a number of engagements across Sydney and Canberra from October 18 to 23, including an official welcome from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
It will be his majesty’s first Australian visit since taking the throne and the first time a reigning monarch has touched down on our shores since the late Queen Elizabeth’s 2011 trip.
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The pair have a packed schedule across their short visit but this could be modified on doctor’s orders closer to the time, as the 75-year-old monarch continues his cancer treatment, following a diagnosis in February.
“Australians look forward to welcoming he King and Queen back to Australia in October, and highlighting the best of the Australian spirit,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
The couple were last in Australia in April 2018 for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. During that last trip, they toured Queensland and the Northern Territory.
After arriving into the country on October 18, the pair will undertake engagements in Sydney on the October 20 and 22 and visit Canberra on the 21st.
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In Sydney, King Charles and Queen Camilla will conduct a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbour and attend a community barbecue in Western Sydney, showcasing produce from across NSW.
They’ll also undertake solo engagements, with the King learning about the ground-breaking melanoma research being led by Australians of the Year Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO.
His majesty will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work in supporting local community and strengthening culture.
Queen Camilla will continue her literacy focus and visit a library, meeting with children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop.
In Canberra, they’ll be welcomed to Parliament House by the prime minister as well as pay their respects at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
The pair will also attend a reception for political and community leaders, and Australians who have excelled in the fields of health, arts, culture and sport.
In solo engagements, the monarch will meet with CSIRO scientists to discuss their work on bushfire impacts in Australia, while Queen Camilla will take part in a forum on domestic violence – another passionate cause she also champions in the UK.
“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,” Albanese added.
“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 official trip to Australia will be Camilla’s fourth and Charles’ 16th.
The couple will then head to Samoa for the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which runs until October 25.
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