King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Australia and will be making their way around Sydney and Canberra for the next few days.
Buckingham Palace first confirmed on July 14, 2024 that the King and Queen would come to the Land Down Under this year. This will be Charles’ first visit to Australia since taking the throne and the Australian Government has also confirmed public viewing details for those wanting to meet the monarchs.
You can follow along with our royal tour live updates here.
Charles, who along with his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, have been undergoing treatment for cancer in recent months, will meet with Australians of the Year Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO in Sydney to learn about their ground-breaking research on the disease.
THE TOUR ITINERARY
Sunday (Sydney)
The King and Queen will attend a church service at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney.
The general public will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the royals from 11:30am, but are advised to arrive to later than 11am and should gather on the lawns.
The latter part of the day will be spent at NSW Parliament House.
Monday (Canberra)
The King and Queen will pay their respects at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and they will also visit the For Our Country Memorial. While here, the public will have a chance to see the royals (see details below).
The couple will also spend time at the Australia National Botanic Gardens to discuss the global impacts of climate change.
Charles will visit the CSIRO by himself, hearing from scientists about their impactful work on Australian bushfires. Meanwhile, Camilla will meet with representatives from GIVIT, participating in discussions on family and domestic violence – a topic near to her heart.
Tuesday (Sydney)
Back in Sydney, the royals will attend a community BBQ in Paramatta in celebration of Australia’s cultural diversity and quality NSW produce.
The jam-packed tour will also see King Charles meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work supporting the local community and strengthening culture.
Camilla has plans to visit a library to meet with children participating in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop.
In the afternoon, the royals will be back in the city to greet crowds at the Opera House forecourt and also conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy.
PUBLIC OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET THE KING AND QUEEN
There are five chances for the public to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla, three in Sydney and two in Canberra:
Canberra
- Monday 21st October at 12:35pm at the Australian War Memorial, Treloar Cct, Campbell ACT. You should be in place at the memorial by 11:45am to avoid road closures and for security screening.
- Monday 21st October at 1pm at Parliament House, Parliament Drive, Canberra ACT. You should be in place by 12:10pm.
Sydney
- Sunday 20th October at 11:30am at St Thomas’ Anglican Church, Corner of McLaren St and Church St, North Sydney. You should arrive no later than 11am.
- Tuesday 22nd October at 4:20pm at the Sydney Opera House forecourt. The entry point will open by 3pm.
- Tuesday 22nd October at 4:50pm at Sydney Harbour for a fleet review and fly past. Vantage points include Farm Cover, Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie Chair precinct, You should be in place no later than 3:50pm.
The NSW Government has also confirmed that the Sydney Opera House will be projected with images of a special photo royal montage on Friday 18th October to celebrate the royal visit.
THE BEST OF AUSTRALIA
The Prime Minister says the visit is an opportunity to “showcase the best of Australia”.
“I welcome Buckingham Palace’s statement announcing the visit,” the Prime Minister said in a statement to the media.
“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.
“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.
“Australians look forward to welcoming The King and Queen back to Australia in October and highlighting the best of the Australian spirit.”
After the tour, Charles and Camilla will head to Samoa for the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which runs until October 25.
A CHANGE OF PLANS
Initially, Charles and Camilla were set to tour Australia as part of a long-haul trip, with visits to neighbouring countries including New Zealand.
However, the tour was drastically scaled back due to the King’s ongoing cancer treatment. It was recently announced that the King will put his cancer treatment on hold for the duration of the tour.
At a recent reception at Buckingham Palace, King Charles welcomed the Black Ferns, the New Zealand women’s rugby union team.
After being warmly embraced by the players, Charles apologised that that he wouldn’t be able to make it to NZ during his Australia tour.
He said, “I’m extremely sorry I can’t come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor’s orders, but I hope there’ll be another excuse (to come) before not too long.”
A Buckingham palace spokesman said of the tour’s reduced itinerary: “We’ve had to, as you would with any visit, think about how you can ensure Their Majesties’ energies are preserved to be at their best.
“There had been some hope earlier in the year for Their Majesties to be able to visit New Zealand.
“On doctor’s advice, and in close consultation with the Australian and New Zealand governments, that wasn’t able to take place.
“We’ve had to make some difficult decisions about the programme with the Australian government, about where Their Majesties can get to.”
Charles and Camilla last visited Australia in 2018. (Credit: Getty)
In a new book based on King Charles, the author, Robert Hardman explained that he believes the King has a loving relationship with Australia after he spent time here during his schooldays.
King Charles’ visit to Australia will be his first since becoming King, and will be the first visit to Australia by a ruling British monarch since Elizabeth II visited in October 2011.
The royal tour will coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, at which both Charles and Camilla are expected to attend.
Taking place from 21 to 25 October in 2024, the CHOGM occurs every two years and features leaders from the 56 Commonwealth member nations.
The late Queen Elizabeth’s final visit to Australia was in 2011. (Credit: Getty)
The last time the British royals visited Australia was in April 2018, when they represented Queen Elizabeth at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, and opened the ceremony.
The late Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia 16 times over the course of her reign, each time accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip who sadly passed away April 2021. Her first visit to Australia as Monarch was in 1954, with her final trip being in October 2011.
It is a significant event for King Charles as it marks his first royal tour of Australia since becoming the reigning monarch, and will be the first time for the Australian people to see their new King.
Anthony Albanese and King Charles last met in May 2023 at Buckingham Palace. (Credit: Getty)
Since becoming King and Queen, Charles and Camilla have completed state visits to Germany, France and Kenya, and have hosted leaders from around the world.
In May 2023, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace ahead of the King’s coronation.
