Every time I return to the “Sunburnt Country”, I am always moved by the hauntingly evocative cries of the Kookaburra, the screeching of the Galah and the warbling of the Magpie.[1]
The 2024 royal tour of Australia by Charles III, King of Australia, and Queen Camilla took place from 18 to 23 October 2024. The visit was the first by a reigning monarch to Australia in over a decade and the first by a reigning King.
Background
editCharles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia in 1954.[2] She visited and toured Australia several more times throughout her reign, the last time being in 2011.[3]
Charles, then-Prince of Wales studied in Australia for six months as a teenager in the 1960s. During his 1994 solo tour of the country, Charles was shot at while on stage during Australia Day celebrations.[3] Charles's cancer diagnosis in February 2024 placed doubts on the prospects of the tour going ahead.[4] It was later announced that the tour would go on, albeit with several changes.[5] The tour was Charles's first visit to a Commonwealth realm since he became King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.[6]
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King Charles III adopted an Australian flag to acknowledge his role as King of Australia. It was approved on 30 August 2024 and used for the first time during this tour.[7]
Visit
edit
The King and Queen arrived in Sydney on 18 October and were greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Governor-General Sam Mostyn, and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. Sydney Opera House was illuminated with a montage of photos of Charles and Camilla on previous visits to Australia in celebration of their arrival.[8]
The royal couple spent 19 October resting before beginning the full schedule of engagements the following day.[9]
20 October
editIn the morning, the King and Queen attended a church service at St Thomas' Anglican Church, where they were received by Kanishka Raffel, the Archbishop of Sydney.[6] Later that day, Charles visited the New South Wales Parliament to mark the body's 200th anniversary, where he presented the New South Wales Legislative Council with a timer for debates. The King later held audiences with Governor-General Mostyn and Margaret Beazley, the governor of New South Wales at Admiralty House.[10]
21 October
editYour Majesty, we also like to believe that, along the way, this country has managed to make something of a mark on you. Not least through some of your uniquely Australian educational experiences, ranging from your time at Timbertop to your time in the Countdown studio being interviewed by Molly Meldrum. Both, in their own ways, deeply formative experiences.[11]
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, 2024
The King and Queen spent 21 October in Canberra, the Australian capital. They were welcomed by a traditional Smoking ceremony at Defence Establishment Fairbairn. [12] They then visited and laid wreaths at the Australian War Memorial. The King and Queen then travelled to the Federal Parliament of Australia, they were met by Australia's Federation Guard, who conducted a Royal Salute, with full honours, for The King.[13] Before attending the parliamentary reception in the Great Hall of Parliament House. The King, as head of state, delivered a speech at the reception, as did Prime Minister Albanese and Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton. After his speech, Charles was heckled by Aboriginal Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, who accused him of genocide and shouted "you are not my king" and "this is not your land" before being escorted out of the reception, by Australian Federal Police. [14][15] Her comments were widely condemned by fellow politicians including Prime Minister Albanese and Opposition leader Dutton, the latter of whom called for Thorpe's resignation, and received mixed reactions from indigenous leaders, with a Ngunnawal Elder, Aunty Violet Sheridan, whom was present, saying her comments where "Disrespectful."[16][17][18] All six state premiers did not attend the parliamentary reception.[19]
Later, The King visited the National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory, while The Queen joined a discussion on domestic violence at Government House. The two then visited the Australian National Botanical Gardens together.[20]
22 October
editThe King and Queen spent their 5th day visit in Sydney undertaking a variety of engagements.[21] The King began a busy day of public commitments by visiting the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, where he met with a group of Elders and community leaders before taking part in his second smoking ceremony of the visit. Meanwhile, the Queen visited Refettorio OzHarvest Sydney, an Australian-first, social impact collaboration between leading food rescue organisations OzHarvest and Food for Soul. At Melanoma Institute Australia, Charles met researchers, clinical staff, and current patients who have benefited from their world-leading research and treatment, while Camilla was visiting Green Square Plaza and meeting representatives from local Sydney book clubs, Australian authors and past participants of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.[22] The King also visited a sustainable housing development site with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which was being supported by the Kings Charitable Organisation the King's Trust Australia.[23]
Later, The King and Queen attended a community barbecue at Parramatta to celebrate the extraordinary cultural diversity of modern Australia. On their final day in Sydney, they met crowds outside the Syndey Opera House , alongside Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The King, who holds the rank of Admiral of the fleet of The Royal Australian Navy[24] and The Queen then undertook a Royal Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy and a flypast by the Royal Australian Air Force.[25]The King and Queen where then Piped Aboard the ship The Admiral Hudson, and were joined by Admiral David Johnston and Vice-Admiral Mark Hammond. The Fleet review included RAN Personnel and the ships HMAS Hobart, HMAS Arunta, HMAS Warramunga, HMAS Gascoyne and HMAS Yarra. The review also involved a tri-service flypast, involving a F/A-18F Super Hornet, an EA-18G Growler, and two F-35A Lightning IIs, from the Royal Australian Air Force as well as helicopters provided by the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army.[26][27][28]
23 October
editThe King and Queen were formally farewelled by an official party on the tarmac, which included Governor-General Sam Mostyn and her husband Simeon Beckett. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke represented Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the royals' departure, while NSW deputy premier Prue Car represented Premier Chris Minns.[29] The King and Queen departed Australia onboard a Royal Australian Air Force plane, and travelled to Samoa to attend the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.[30]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The King's speech to Parliament House, Canberra". The Royal Family. 21 October 2024.
- ^ Burchfield, Rachel. "A Look Back at Royal Tours of Australia, from Queen Elizabeth's Historic Visits to Meghan Markle's Pregnancy Announcement". People. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b Guinness, Emma. "A history of royal tours Down Under: From a young Queen Elizabeth II to Harry and Meghan's baby joy". The Independent. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Wind, Emily. "King Charles royal tour to Australia in doubt after cancer diagnosis". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Kirka, Danica. "King Charles III to visit Australia and Samoa in a test of stamina after cancer diagnosis". AP News. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ a b Needham, Kirsty. "Britain's King Charles meets cheering Australian crowds, says 'great joy' to return". Reuters. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Royal and Vice-Regal flags". Australian Government: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ Needham, Kirsty. "Australia turns on Sydney Harbour welcome for King Charles". Reuters. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Burchfield, Rachel; Watts, Marina. "King Charles and Queen Camilla Receive Warm Welcome in Sydney, the First Leg of Their Two-City Australian Tour". People. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "King Charles III and Queen Camilla have commenced their royal tour of Australia. These were the big moments". ABC News. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Welcome to King Charles III". Prime Minister of Australia. 21 October 2024.
- ^ "King Charles III and Queen Camilla greet alpaca, given Tim Tams as protester arrested". ABC News. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ LIVE: UK’s King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the Australian Parliament. Retrieved 2024-10-23 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "'You are not my king,' Indigenous Australian senator yells at visiting King Charles". AP News. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Keate, Noah. "'Not my king!' King Charles III heckled by Australian senator". Politico. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Furness, Hannah. "Australian PM condemns 'disrespectful' senator who heckled King". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Collard, Sarah. "Indigenous elder scolds Lidia Thorpe for yelling 'disrespectful' comments at King Charles". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Turnbull, Tiffanie. "Violent image of King deleted as heckling row grows". BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg563r671zpo.amp
- ^ Burchfield, Rachel. "King Charles and Queen Camilla Embark on Royal Tour of Australia and Samoa: See the Best Photos!". People. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Relph, Daniela; Coughlan, Sean. "King's Australia visit ends on positive note". BBC. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "King Charles visits melanoma clinic in Sydney and meets cancer survivors". Reuters. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ Ross, Jason (2024-10-22). "A House Fit for a King: Charles Tours His Boldest Sydney Project!". Wood Central. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ ADF, Australian Defence Force. "King Charles appointed Admiral of the Fleet".
- ^ McGuirk, Rod. "King Charles III ends first Australian visit by a reigning British monarch in 13 years". AP News. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Monarchical Fleet Review". Sydney Spectaculars. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ "Flypast in support of his Majesty the King's visit to Australia". Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Barbecue, kangaroo pies and Jimmy Barnes: Charles and Camilla go quintessentially Australian for final day of tour". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "King Charles and Queen Camilla leave Sydney as whirlwind tour of Australia comes to an end". Sky News Australia. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Jones, Tony (2024-10-23). "'Can't wait' – King and Queen depart Australia ahead of Samoa visit". The Standard. Retrieved 2024-10-23.