King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a Sunday church service in Sydney as they began their Australian tour. This marks the King’s first visit to Australia since becoming head of state in September 2022 and his largest trip since beginning cancer treatment in February.
Their six-day visit will include meetings with political and community leaders, along with celebrations of Australia’s people, culture, and heritage. The royal couple participated in a service at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in northern Sydney, officiated by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel.
A few hundred well-wishers gathered, many of whom had waited since early morning, to greet the couple after the service. Most had a brief moment to exchange greetings, hand over flowers, or take a photo.
Lyn Tarbuck, who attended with her republican husband and two King Charles spaniels, expressed her support for the monarchy, stating,
“I think it’s joined forces – if we have a problem in Australia, they will help us out. We are a very big country but small in population, so the more help we get the better.”
Roslyn Durie, who saw the Queen during her 1980 visit, said she felt “so emotional” after receiving “a good firm handshake” from the King. Sandra Hall, another attendee, shared her conversation with King Charles, saying,
“I shook hands with Camilla first and welcomed her to Sydney, then Charles came along. I said ‘look, it’s a beautiful sunny day’ – and he said ‘it’s always sunny in Sydney.’”
Outside, a small group of around 20 protesters gathered, shouting “not our King” and waving Aboriginal and Palestinian flags. One banner read “decolonise.” Wayne Wharton, an Indigenous Kooma protester from Brisbane, accused the King of “war crimes against our people” and said he did not recognize “the illegal occupation of this country.” Initially using a megaphone, Wharton was asked by police to stop or face a fine.
On Saturday, a rest day for the couple, an image was released showing the King and Queen after their arrival on Friday at Admiralty House, the residence of Australia’s governor-general. The couple was said to be touched when the Sydney Opera House was lit up with images of them.
During the tour, the King was appointed to the honorary ranks of Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal, and Marshal in the Australian Defence Force. The Association of Commonwealth Universities also launched the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship programme, which will address economic, social, and environmental challenges in small island states. The King remarked,
“There is so much we can learn from one another as we work together within the Commonwealth to tackle the major challenges of our age.”
While in Australia, the King’s schedule includes supporting environmental initiatives and attending a naval review in Sydney Harbour. He is also expected to meet with Australian scientists Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer, who have led groundbreaking research on melanoma, one of the most common cancers in the country.
A reception in Canberra on Monday will welcome the King, however, the six state premiers of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania will be absent.
The Royal Family’s social media account shared that King Charles will address the Australian parliament during his visit. His cancer treatment has been paused for the duration of the tour, which will continue in Samoa, where he will attend a Commonwealth leaders’ summit. No evening engagements, state dinners, or late-day events are scheduled.
Ahead of the visit, the Royal Family’s account posted,
“Ahead of our first visit to Australia as King and Queen, we are really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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