KEY POINTS
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit Australia next month.
- It will be Charles’ first visit to Australia since becoming king and the first by a reigning monarch since 2011.
- Charles returned to public duties in April after being diagnosed with cancer 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 October 18, where they will 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 success in areas such as health, arts, culture and sport will also be included on the guest list.
Charles and Camilla will attend engagements in Sydney on October 20 and 22, and visit Canberra again on October 21 before returning to Sydney the following day.
In Sydney, Charles and Camilla will also conduct a naval fleet review, 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 visit the CSIRO as part of the agency’s efforts to combat the bushfires, while Camilla will meet representatives from domestic violence charity GIVIT.
Charles will also meet Australians of the Year, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, to learn more about and meet with representatives and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 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 our contributions to science, research and global progress,” he said.
But there was speculation about whether it would continue after . He .
The visit to Australia was confirmed in July.
It will be Charles’ first visit to Australia since becoming king and the first by a reigning British monarch since 2011, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
“Her Majesty first visited Australia in 1966 and has a strong personal affection for our nation. We are delighted that Her Majesty is recovering well and has made her visit to Australia once again a priority,” he said. Albanese said.
“Australians look forward to welcoming the King and Queen to Australia in October and showcasing the best of the Australian spirit.”
Charles ascended the British throne in March last year following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022.
He has made 15 official visits to Australia, the last in 2018 for the Commonwealth Games.
With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
