KEY POINTS
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to Australia next month.
- It will be Charles’ first visit to Australia since he became King and the first by a reigning monarch since 2011.
- Charles returned to public duties in April following a cancer diagnosis in February.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to Australia next month, visiting Canberra and Sydney.
Details of the five-day royal visit were confirmed on Wednesday.
The King and Queen will arrive in Australia on 18 October, where they’ll be welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and attend a reception for political and community leaders.
Prominent Australians who have demonstrated achievement in fields such as health, arts, culture and sports will also be on the guest list.
Charles and Camilla will attend engagements in Sydney on 20 and 22 October, and visit Canberra again on 21 October before returning to Sydney the next day.
In Sydney, Charles and Camilla will also conduct a fleet review of the navy, attend a community barbecue and visit the Opera House.
Charles and Camilla will also lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial.
Charles will also carry out a visit to the CSIRO as part of a focus on the agency’s effort to tackle bushfires, while Camilla will meet with representatives at domestic violence charity GIVIT.
Charles will also meet Australians of the Year Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer to hear about and meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups.
In a statement, Albanese said he welcomed Buckingham Palace’s announcement.
“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,” he said.
But there was speculation as to whether it would go ahead following . He .
The visit to Australia was confirmed in July.
It will be Charles’ first visit to Australia since he became King and the first by a reigning British monarch since 2011, when Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
“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 said.
“Australians look forward to welcoming The King and Queen back to Australia in October, and highlighting the best of the Australian spirit.”
Charles ascended to the British throne in March last year following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September 2022.
He has made 15 official visits to Australia, most recently in 2018 for the Commonwealth Games.
With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
