Royal news live: King Charles jokes about ‘sands of time’ as he gifts hourglass to local Australian parliament

Can the royal family and King Charles adapt to the modern age and stay relevant? Will Harry be able to rejoin The Firm? And what will the next generation of royalty be like?

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Though not an official tour, the then-Prince Charles did visit Australia to study for six months when he was a teenager in 1966.

The trip, which saw Charles spend two terms at a boarding school campus in Victoria, was described by the prince, then 17, as “the best” experience of his educational life.

Now, almost six decades later, this week’s visit will mark King Charles’s 17th trip to Australia.

The royal family has anticipated King Charles’s upcoming visit to Australia on Friday – his first as a reigning monarch.

An official statement read: “70 years ago, in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning British Sovereign to visit Australia.

“Tomorrow, The King will arrive for his own first visit as Sovereign, accompanied by Queen Camilla.

“During the visit, The King will follow in his mother’s footsteps - seven decades on - by addressing Parliament in Canberra.”

The statement was accompanied by footage from the late Queen’s visit, which showed the enormous crowds that had gathered to welcome her and Prince Philip to Australia.

The Duke of Sussex tried his hand at riding waves at a “surf ranch” in California, video posted on Wednesday, 16 October shows.

Prince Harry navigated the waters at Kelly Slater’s facility in Leemore, which is more than 100 miles from the sea.

Professional surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer posted footage of the royal’s endeavours on his Instagram account.

Van Bastolaer said: “In Tahiti, we still call you Prince Harry.

“But at Surf Ranch, it’s my brother. It was an honour to have you surf with me and Kelly Slater.”

Prince William was supported by the late Princess Diana’s nieces at last night’s Centrepoint Awards in London.

Lady Kitty Spencer, Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer were all in attendance at the event, which recognised the achievements of young people working to help the homeless.

Kitty, Amelia and Eliza are all the daughters of Earl Spencer, 64, Diana’s younger brother.

William, who has also recently launched his own Homewards project to tackle homelessness, has been a patron of the charity since 2005.

Centrepoint provides support and accommodation to people aged 18 to 25 who are experiencing homelessness in the UK.

Prince William has praised the winners of the Centrepoint Awards following last night’s ceremony in London.

The charity, of which William, 42, is a patron, provides support and accommodation to young people aged 18 to 25 who are affected by homelessness.

The awards recognised those making notable contributions in this area.

Taking to the official Kensington Palace Twitter/X account, the heir to the throne wrote: “The @centrepointuk Award winners and finalists have overcome so much and achieved incredible things in leadership, education and their communities. Congratulations to you all!”