In big news for Sydney-based royalists, The King and Queen of England (Charles and Camilla) will be visiting Australia this October for the first time since Charles took up the role as our head of state back in May 2023. Regardless of your thoughts on the monarchy, this visit is set to come with a whole lot of fanfare – here’s what we know so far.
Why is King Charles coming to Sydney?
As a member of the Commonwealth, Australia is one of the countries for which the British monarch is head of state – meaning they’re afforded a symbolic but non-political role in our country. Aside from appointing the Governor-General to act as their representative in the country, the role of the British monarch (currently the King) in Australia is mainly ceremonial, with visits to the country pretty key in the demonstration of the symbolic significance. This year’s visit will see the King attend an event to celebrate 20 years of the NSW parliament, pay a visit to parliament in Canberra and likely attend several other official events (all pending his health).
When is King Charles coming to Sydney?
According to Buckingham Palace, The King and Queen will visit Australia this October, with exact dates yet to be announced. The visit will form part of Charles and Camilla’s official Pacific tour, which was cast into doubt in February when Charles announced his cancer diagnosis.
Where is King Charles going when he’s in Australia?
As the first reigning monarch to visit Australia since his late mother Elizabeth II visited back in 2011, demands on the King’s time will likely be intense, but instead of taking on a multi-stop tour of the country, he’ll reportedly only be visiting two Australian cities. In happy news for Sydney’s royal family-enthusiasts, the Emerald City is one of them. King Charles is set to visit Sydney before spending time with Albo in Canberra, then leaving Australia to join the leaders of 56 Commonwealth nations for the biennial Heads of Government Meeting, held this year in Samoa. According to a spokesperson from the palace, the King’s doctors have advised against a more extended program, which is why his trip doesn’t include as many stops as anticipated.
This visit will be the sixteenth official visit that Charles has made to Australia, and though he’s keeping it local this time, his previous visits have seen him visit every state and territory in Australia. During his last visit back in 2018, Charles was part of the formal opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, and he credits the time he spent studying at Timbertop (the outdoor education-focused outpost of Geelong Grammar School) with building his character, saying at a speech on January 25, 2011: “If you want to develop character, go to Australia."
As for who will be in for an audience with the King, that’s yet to be announced, with the palace confirming that they’ll be releasing further details of the program over the next few months.
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