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New details of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s upcoming royal tour have been revealed.
The couple will touch down for their first official visit to Australia since the coronation on October 18, visiting Sydney and Canberra before departing on the 23rd.
Their Majesties’ royal visit will be ahead of their trip to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which runs from October 21-25.
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“Australians look forward to welcoming The King and Queen back to Australia in October, and highlighting the best of the Australian spirit,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
The King made 15 official visits to Australia during his time as Prince of Wales – in addition to spending a semester at school in Geelong back in 1966 – but this will mark his first visit as sovereign.
The four-day tour also marks the first visit to Australia by a reigning monarch since 2011.
Queen Camilla made three official visits as Duchess of Cornwall but this will mark her first as Queen Consort.
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The couple were last in Australia in April 2018 for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. During that last trip, they toured Queensland and the Northern Territory.
This visit, which is being undertaken as the King continues his cancer treatment, will be kept to Sydney and Canberra but will still feature a full diary of engagements from Sunday October 20 until Tuesday October 22.
The couple’s itinerary “will be subject to doctors’ advice”, and the King’s itinerary may be modified should health grounds require it, Buckingham Palace advised when first announcing the tour in July.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in Australia on the evening of October 18 and will receive an official welcome.
While in Sydney, the couple will conduct a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbour and attend a community barbecue in Western Sydney, which will showcase produce from across NSW.
The pair will also hold solo engagements, with the King learning about the ground-breaking melanoma research being led by Australians of the Year Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO.
His Majesty will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work in supporting local community and strengthening culture.
Queen Camilla will continue her literacy focus and visit a library, meeting with children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop.
Their Majesties will break up their time in Sydney with a trip to Canberra on Monday, October 21, where they’ll be welcomed to Parliament House by the prime minister.
The day will also include a visit to the Australian War Memorial and time at the Australian National Botanic Gardens for the couple.
They’ll also attend a reception for political and community leaders, and Australians who have excelled in the fields of health, arts, culture and sport.
In solo engagements, the monarch will meet with CSIRO scientists to discuss their work on bushfire impacts in Australia, while Queen Camilla will take part in a forum on domestic violence – another passionate cause she also champions in the UK.
“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.
“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.”
The couple were expected to also visit New Zealand while in the region but this ultimately needed to be skipped on doctor’s orders.
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“The King’s doctors have advised that such an extended programme should be avoided at this time, to prioritise His Majesty’s continued recovery,” a palace spokesperson said earlier this year of the decision to miss New Zealand.
“In close consultation with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers, and with due regard for the pressures of time and logistics, it has therefore been agreed to limit the visit to Samoa and Australia only,” the spokesperson said.
“Their Majesties send their warmest thanks and good wishes to all parties for their continued support and understanding.”
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