Royal news live: King Charles given military honours on first day of landmark Australia visit
The visit is King Charles’s first tour of Australia as king
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King Charles has been appointed to multiple honorary ranks in Australia’s armed forces within hours of arriving for his first visit as King.
He has been appointed as Australia’s admiral of the navy, field marshal of the army and marshal of the air force, the defence chief said on Sunday.
The 75-year-old arrived in Sydney on Friday evening in his first major foreign trip since being diagnosed with cancer.
With no official events scheduled for Saturday, Charles and Queen Camilla were seen by local media walking around the historic harbour foreshore residence Admiralty House, Reuters reported.
In a statement, chief of the Defence Force Admiral David Johnston said: "The Sovereign serves as an example of service, and His Majesty’s appointments are symbolic of the Royal Family’s longstanding dedication and relationship with the nation.”
Camilla and Charles will participate in a navy fleet review on Sydney Harbour next week. Australia’s navy has been known as the Royal Australian Navy since 1911, with its vessels carrying the title of His Majesty’s Australian Ship.
It is the first trip to Australia by a reigning monarch in more than a decade.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese celebrates royal tour
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s arrival in Australia has been celebrated by the country’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Sharing a picture of himself with the royals today, he wrote in a statement: “A warm welcome back to Australia.
“Their Majesties have a deep regard for Australia, and this visit will be an opportunity to showcase the very best of our modern and dynamic nation.
“Over the next few days, King Charles and Queen Camilla will meet with Australians at events in Sydney and Canberra.”
A warm welcome back to Australia.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 18, 2024
Their Majesties have a deep regard for Australia, and this visit will be an opportunity to showcase the very best of our modern and dynamic nation.
Over the next few days, King Charles and Queen Camilla will meet with Australians at events in… pic.twitter.com/NXA0xMNqzd
Charles and Camilla meet with Australian prime minister
King Charles and Queen Camilla have met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his wife Jodie Haydon.
The royals arrived in Sydney earlier today to begin their historic six-day tour of the country – the couple’s first visit as king and queen.
Their arrival was celebrated with a spectacular light show on the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
🇬🇧 🤝 🇦🇺
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 18, 2024
⁰It was a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) and Ms Haydon, upon arrival in Sydney. pic.twitter.com/KOKjqiEplm
Charles and Camilla thank Australia for their ‘special welcome'
King Charles and Queen Camilla have thanked Australia for their “special welcome” as they kick off their six-day tour of the country.
A post on the official royal family Twitter/X account read: “Thank you for the special welcome, Australia!
“The King and Queen have touched down in Sydney to begin their visit to Australia.
“The visit marks His Majesty’s first visit to a Realm as Sovereign.”
This was accompanied by a picture of the Sydney Opera House, which was lit up with images from previous royal tours for the occasion.
Thank you for the special welcome, Australia! 🇦🇺
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 18, 2024
The King and Queen have touched down in Sydney to begin their visit to Australia.
The visit marks His Majesty’s first visit to a Realm as Sovereign. pic.twitter.com/EjKiY9moJA
Australian Republic Movement likens royal tour to ‘show that comes to town'
The Australian Republic Movement has condemned the royal tour and likened the king and queen’s presence to that of a visiting musician or artist.
Co-chair Esther Anatolitis said the six-day visit should reinforce the need for the country’s British head of state to be replaced with an Australian.
Royal tours, she said, were “something of a show that comes to town.”
“Unfortunately, it is a reminder that Australia’s head of state isn’t full-time, isn’t Australian. It’s a part-time person based overseas who’s the head of state of numerous places,” Anatolitis told the AP.
Queen Camilla grants 12-year-old boy’s wish on arrival in Australia
The royal tour got off to a triumphant start for Queen Camilla who granted a 12-year-old boy’s wish to meet the royals on arrival in Australia.
Ky, who has severe aplastic anaemia, presented the queen consort with a bouquet after she and King Charles stepped off their plane.
Ky was joined by his sister Charlotte for the meeting, who saved his life with a bone marrow donation.
“I just like their personality as well and what they do with charities is really nice – probably Charles would be my favourite,” he said.
His wish to meet the royals was granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which exists in both the UK and Australia.
Sydney celebrates King Charles and Queen Camilla’s arrival
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s arrival in Australia has been marked with a spectacular light show on the Sydney Opera House.
It was poignantly lit up for four minutes with pictures from previous royal tours.
The couple are set to spend six days in the country on their first visit as king and queen.
Australia’s ‘biggest royal fan’ can’t wait for King Charles’s visit
A woman who has been dubbed Australia’s “biggest royal fan” has said that she cannot wait for King Charles’s historic visit.
Jan Hugo, the proud owner of the country’s largest collection of royal memorabilia, said that she loves “everything” about the royal family.
“I think we might try and coordinate a couple of things and see where we might be able to see him,” Ms Hugo told the TODAY programme. “But you’ve got to be in the right place at the right time.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla step down on Australian soil
King Charles and Queen Camilla have officially arrived in Australia for their historic tour – the monarch’s first as king.
The couple landed in Sydney on a Royal Australian Air Force plane, where they were greeted by a warm welcome as they stepped off their plane and shook the hands of officials.
The queen consort was also gifted a bouquet of flowers by a young boy.
Watch live: King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Australia for first visit since coronation
Watch live as King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in Australia on Friday, 18 October, for their first official visit since the coronation.
His Majesty is embarking on his 16th official visit and 17th overall to the country, which is his first trip there as monarch and Queen Camilla’s first in her role as consort.
The royal couple last travelled around the globe to the Commonwealth realm in 2018.
Charles and Camilla will embark on a six-day trip to Canberra and Sydney as part of a historic tour of the South Pacific.
They will later travel to Samoa for a three-day state visit and speak with world leaders in a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which Charles will formally open.
Live: King and Queen arrive in Australia for first visit since coronation
Watch live as King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in Australia on Friday, 18 October, for their first official visit since the coronation.
Prince William praises the Duchy College after Cornwall visit
Prince William has praised the work of the Duchy College after a visit to Cornwall, where the heir to the throne met its students on campus.
A statement on the official Kensington Palace Twitter/X account read: “The @DuchyCollege does a brilliant job providing opportunities for young people in rural areas to foster a successful career.
“A great morning in Cornwall spent chatting about the future of farming, getting hands-on with CSI-focused course tasks and meeting students on campus.”
The post was accompanied by footage of William meeting with students to learn more about their studies and ambitions. The college has two campuses in Rosewarne and Stoke Climsland, Cornwall.
The @DuchyCollege does a brilliant job providing opportunities for young people in rural areas to foster a successful career.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 17, 2024
A great morning in Cornwall spent chatting about the future of farming, getting hands on with CSI-focused course tasks and meeting students on campus. pic.twitter.com/rgcoAeWe6G
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