King takes in Sydney crowds and a sneezing alpaca during overseas tour
The itinerary in Australia and Samoa was tailored to give Charles periods of rest.
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From poignant remembrance events to ancient welcome ceremonies, the King and Queen’s tour of Australia and Samoa had it all.
Crowds flocked to the famous Sydney Opera House to see the monarch making his first visit to Australia as King, with his wife Camilla.
It saw the largest crowd of the tour, with more than 6,000 people vying for the best spot to get a glimpse of the couple.
In the capital Canberra the mood was very different when the couple paid their respects at the Australian War Memorial during a poignant wreath-laying ceremony.
There were moments when the formalities were forgotten, including Charles being hugged by one well-wisher during his visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney.
Some encounters were more unusual, from an alpaca wearing a crown and bow tie that sneezed as the King stroked its nose, to the Queen trying to coax a parrot to talk.
Royal tours sometimes have controversial moments and when Charles was welcomed by parliamentarians in Canberra, senator Lidia Thorpe accused him of “genocide” against the First Nations.
In Samoa the King showed off his own take on local fashion during welcoming ceremonies.
Charles swapped his trademark tailored suit for a short-sleeved white jacket and trousers he designed himself as he was honoured with a new title, sipped a symbolic drink and was presented with a pig for feasting on the opening day of his state visit to the Pacific nation.
The itinerary was tailored to give the King, who has been receiving treatment for cancer for much of the year, periods of rest.
A rest day was allocated after the couple first arrived in Australia and the King looked engaged, relaxed and in good spirits throughout the overseas visit.
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