King Charles and Queen Camilla will spend six days in Australia next month on their first trip to Australia since he took the throne.
The visit – King Charles’ 16th to Australia – was thrown into doubt when the King was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
But Buckingham Palace has confirmed the royal couple will make a shorter visit, with three days of events in just Sydney and Canberra.
The royal couple will arrive on Friday 18 October before flying out the following Wednesday for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday welcomed the visit, the first by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in 2011.
“The royal visit is an opportunity to showcase the best of Australia – our rich culture, our sense of community and our contributions to science, research and global progress,” Albanese said.
‘His Majesty first visited Australia in 1966 and has a strong personal affection for our nation.
‘We are delighted that Her Majesty is recovering well and has made her visit to Australia a priority once again.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will spend six days in Australia next month on their first trip to Australia since he ascended to the throne. They are pictured on the Gold Coast in 2018
The royal couple will arrive on Friday 18 October before departing the following Wednesday to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. They are pictured in Adelaide in 2012.
‘Australians look forward to welcoming the King and Queen back to Australia in October and bringing out the best of the Australian spirit.’
The royal couple, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, were last in Australia more than six years ago for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and a trip to the Northern Territory.
The programme of this trip has been organised to ensure that the King can rest.
But it’s still a busy schedule, with BBQs and time spent on Sydney Harbour.
Mr Albanese will welcome the couple to Parliament House on Monday 21 October for a reception with political and community leaders, and Australians who have distinguished themselves in the fields of health, arts, culture and sport.
They will also lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
At the Botanic Gardens, they will meet with staff and volunteers to discuss the global impacts of climate change.
The October visit will be the first by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II was last in Australia in 2011.
King Charles, then Prince of Wales, was accompanied by Camilla at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
The King will visit CSIRO, where scientists will share their work on how to address the impact of the Australian bushfires.
The Queen will take part in a debate on family and domestic violence before meeting representatives of the charity GIVIT, of which she is patron, to celebrate its work coordinating donations for those in need.
More than 1.1 million donated items were coordinated through GIVIT.org.au.
The King will be in Sydney on Sunday and Tuesday, where he will conduct a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Review and attend a community barbecue to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity.
The King will meet Australians of the Year Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO to learn more about their ground-breaking research into the cancer, melanoma.
She will also meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work supporting the local community and strengthening culture.
The Queen will visit a library and meet children taking part in a workshop for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.
The announcement came a day after the Princess of Wales announced she was cancer-free following her diagnosis earlier this year.