Queen Camilla has ditched her shoes and gone barefoot after a long day of meeting fans across Sydney.
Thousands of royal fans gathered on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The royal couple descended the steps of the iconic building, waving arms at the adoring crowd, who were heard shouting ‘welcome to Australia’.
Queen Camilla was seen holding the king’s arm for support as she walked down the stairs and towards the huge crowd.
At one point, King Charles said “magnificent” to the Queen as he clapped before a school performance on the steps of the Opera House.
To conclude their six-day trip to Australia, the pair observed Operation Regal – an Australian Defense Force military display around Sydney’s iconic harbour.
Their Majesties conducted a naval fleet survey before boarding the Admiral Hudson ship from the Man O’War Steps.
Camilla’s choice of shoes seemed to get the better of her, with the Queen showing signs of struggling with the comfort of her heels.
Queen Camilla was spotted barefoot as she returned to Admiralty House with the King
She was seen barefoot as she climbed the quay steps with one hand on the railing and the other holding her heels, bag and coat.
During the Fleet Review she was seen leaning on the side of the boat for support as King Charles stared anxiously at her feet.
After a long day of gallivanting around Sydney, Her Majesty ditched her heels as she returned to Admiralty House with the King.
She was seen barefoot as she climbed the quay steps with one hand on the railing and the other holding her heels, bag and coat.
Despite her sore and tired feet, she told a well-wisher that she and the King were enjoying the Australian sun, saying: ‘I wish we stayed longer’.
Earlier in the day, the King and Queen were invited to help out at a traditional Australian barbecue hosted by NSW Prime Minister Chris Minns and his wife Anna.
The royal couple attended the community barbecue in Parramatta Park and were encouraged to use tongs when cooking sausages the ‘Australian way’.
Scott McCoy, 42, manager of Black Bear BBQ restaurant in Sydney and better known by the nickname ‘Chop’, said it was “an honour” to have some royal helpers.
Chop said, “I’m still shaking. It was great.’
The King and Queen declined the chance to taste any of the sausages, which included lamb, beef, pork and vegetarian varieties.
Chop said the Queen was instructed to use the tongs ‘the Australian way’ to turn the ‘hooks’ (sausages) by clicking them twice before using them.
Chop said the King and Queen thought the sausages were “amazing” and that they “could say they were awesome without trying them.”
The barbecue followed the Queen’s visit to Refettorio OzHarvest in Surry Hills, an Australian first social impact partnership helping people struggling with food insecurity.
Camilla’s choice of footwear seemed to prevail, with the Queen leaning on the side of a boat for support during the Fleet Review.
Earlier, Camilla grabbed the King’s arm for support as the couple walked down the steps of the Sydney Opera House
She then met passionate young readers and leading authors at Sydney’s Green Square Library.
Camilla, a long-time literacy and reading advocate, attended the event to celebrate and promote the role of writing and literacy for young Australians.
She met former Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition participants and Australian authors at the award-winning underground library beneath Green Square Plaza, which opened in 2018.
Camilla was joined by New South Wales Deputy Prime Minister Prudence Car and met with representatives from the NSW Government Department of Education, the Royal Commonwealth Society and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.