King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Australia for the first time as sovereign, attending church in Sydney.
The royal couple was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers, including the archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, and children from the church’s Sunday school. Charles expressed his joy at returning to Australia and renewing his love for the country and its people.
The royal couple signed two bibles inside the church, including one belonging to Australia’s first minister and chaplain of the First Fleet of ships that took convicts from Britain to the penal colony of Australia in 1788.
They also shook hands with a large crowd of cheering fans, some singing “God Save the King.” Charles visited the New South Wales parliament, marking the 200th anniversary of Australia’s oldest legislature. He highlighted the importance of strong parliaments in democracies and the capacity for innovation, compromise, adaptability, and stability.
The royal couple will travel to Canberra on Monday to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the national parliament and visit the Australian War Memorial. After the six-day Australia tour, the king will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Charles made a significant personal donation to create a skills program to tackle climate change and boost higher education in small island states, including the Pacific Islands. The fellowships aim to retain talent in small island states and bolster resilience to climate change impacts such as rising sea levels.
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