Charles and Camilla’s Australian tour revealed: King and Queen will have a BBQ with everyday Aussies and visit Sydney Harbour during whirlwind six-day trip
King Charles and Queen Camilla are spending six days in Australia next month, their first trip Down Under since he took the throne.
King Charles’ visit to Australia, his 16th, was thrown into doubt when the monarch was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
However, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the royal couple will have a shorter visit, with three days of events in just Sydney and Canberra.
The royal couple will arrive on Friday 18 October and fly back to Samoa the following Wednesday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the visit on Wednesday, the first by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in 2011.
“The Royal Visit is an opportunity to showcase the best of Australia – our rich culture, our sense of community and our contributions to science, research and global progress,” Mr Albanese said.
‘His Majesty first visited Australia in 1966 and has a strong personal affection for our country.
‘We are pleased that His Majesty is recovering well and that he has made visiting Australia a priority again.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will spend six days in Australia next month in their first trip Down Under since he took the throne. They are pictured on the Gold Coast in 2018
The royal couple will arrive on Friday 18 October and fly out the following Wednesday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. They are pictured in Adelaide in 2012
‘Australians look forward to welcoming the King and Queen back to Australia in October and celebrating the best of the Australian spirit.’
The royal couple – then the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall – were last in Australia more than six years ago, for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and a trip to the Northern Territory.
Their itinerary is designed so that the king can get enough rest.
But it’s still a busy schedule, including a barbecue with ordinary Australians and spending time in Sydney Harbour.
Mr Albanese will welcome the couple to Parliament House on Monday 21 October for a reception with political and community leaders and Australians who excel in health, arts, culture and sport.
They will also lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
In the Botanical Gardens, staff and volunteers gather to discuss the global impacts of climate change.
The October visit will be the first by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II last visited Australia in 2011.
King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, was accompanied by Camilla at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018
The King will visit CSIRO, where scientists will present their work on dealing with the impact of bushfires in Australia.
The Queen will take part in a discussion on domestic and family violence. She will then meet representatives of the charity GIVIT, of which she is patron. She will celebrate the charity’s work in coordinating donations for people in need.
Over 1.1 million donated items were coordinated through GIVIT.org.au.
The King will be in Sydney on Sunday and Tuesday, where they will hold a Royal Australian Navy naval review and attend a barbecue celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity.
The King will meet Australians of the Year, Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO, to learn more about their groundbreaking cancer research into melanoma.
He will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work supporting local communities and strengthening culture.
The Queen visits a library and meets children taking part in a workshop of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.
The announcement came a day after the Princess of Wales announced she was cancer-free, having been diagnosed earlier this year.