Queen Camilla ditched her shoes and went barefoot after a long day meeting fans across Sydney.
Thousands of royal fans packed the Sydney Opera House forecourt on Tuesday to see King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The royal couple descended the steps of the iconic building, waving their arms at the adoring crowd, who were heard shouting “welcome to Australia”.
Queen Camilla was seen holding on to the king’s arm for support as she walked down the stairs towards the huge crowd.
At one point, King Charles said “magnificent” to the queen while applauding during a school performance on the steps of the Opera House.
To end their six-day trip to Australia, the couple watched Operation Regal, a military display by the Australian Defense Force around Sydney’s iconic harbour.
Their Majesties conducted a Navy fleet review before boarding the ship Admiral Hudson from Man O’War Steps.
Camilla’s choice of footwear seemed to get the better of her, and the Queen showed signs she was struggling with the comfort of her heels.
Queen Camilla was seen walking barefoot as she returned to Admiralty House with the King.
She was seen barefoot as she walked up the pier stairs with one hand on the railing and the other holding her heels, bag and coat.
During the Fleet Review, she was seen leaning on the side of the ship for support, while King Charles looked at her feet with a worried expression.
After spending a long day jogging around Sydney, Her Majesty kicked off her heels and returned to Admiralty House with the King.
She was seen barefoot as she walked up the pier stairs with one hand on the railing and the other holding her heels, bag and coat.
Despite her sore and tired feet, she told a well-wisher that she and the King were enjoying the Australian sunshine, saying: “I wish we could stay longer.”
Earlier in the day, the King and Queen were invited to help with a traditional Australian barbecue hosted by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and his wife Anna.
The royal couple attended the community barbecue in Parramatta Park and were encouraged to use tongs “Australian style” while cooking sausages.
Scott McCoy, 42, manager of Black Bear BBQ restaurant in Sydney and better known by the nickname ‘Chop’, said it was ‘an honour’ to have some real helpers.
Chop said, “I’m still shaking.” It was great.’
The King and Queen declined the opportunity to try any of the sausages, which included lamb, beef, pork and vegetarian variations.
Chop said the Queen was instructed to use the tongs “Australian style” to turn the “sausages” by clicking twice before using them.
Chop said that the King and Queen thought the sausages were “amazing” and that they “could tell they were great without trying them.”
The barbecue followed the Queen’s visit to Refettorio OzHarvest in Surry Hills, a pioneering social impact collaboration in Australia helping people struggling with food insecurity.
Camilla’s choice of footwear appeared to defeat her, with the Queen leaning on the side of a ship for support during the Fleet Review.
Earlier, Camilla grabbed the King’s arm for support as the couple walked down the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
He then met passionate young readers and leading authors at Sydney’s Green Square Library.
Camilla, a long-time literacy and reading advocate, attended the event to celebrate and promote the role of writing and literacy among young Australians.
He met previous entrants to the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition and Australian authors at the award-winning underground library beneath Green Square Plaza, which opened in 2018.
Camilla was joined by NSW Deputy Premier Prudence Car and met with representatives from the NSW Government Department of Education, the Royal Commonwealth Society and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.