King Charles kicks off Australian tour with church service

King Charles and Queen Camilla joined a church congregation in Sydney for a Sunday service on the first day of their tour of Australia.

It is the king’s first visit to Australia since he became head of state in September 2022 and the largest trip the king has made since he began cancer treatment in February.

Their six-day visit to the Commonwealth country will include meetings with political and community leaders and a celebration of the country’s people, culture and heritage.

They were joined at the service by members of St Thomas’ Anglican Church in north Sydney, led by the city’s Archbishop, the Very Reverend Kanishka Raffel.

The royal couple met with well-wishers after a crowd of several hundred people, many of whom had been queuing since the early hours of the morning, were allowed into the church grounds to speak to the royal couple after the service.

For most, it was a casual hello and an opportunity to give flowers or take a photo.

Lyn Tarbuck attended with her husband Bob, a Republican, and two King Charles spaniels. Of the monarchy, she said: “I think it’s a united force – if we have a problem in Australia they will help us. We are a very large country with a small population, so the more help we get the better.”

Roslyn Durie, who saw the Queen during her visit to Australia in 1980, said she was “very excited” after receiving a “nice firm handshake” from the King.

Sandra Hall and her husband Peter were also present to greet the royal couple. Ms Hall said: “First I shook Camilla’s hand and welcomed her to Sydney, then Charles arrived. I said, “Look, it’s a beautiful sunny day,” and he said, “It’s always sunny in Sydney.”

Outside the church, a small but noisy group of about 20 protesters shouted: “Not our king.”

They held banners, one of which read “decolonization,” and waved Aboriginal and Palestinian flags.

Wayne Wharton, an Indigenous Cooma protester from Brisbane, exclaimed: “I accuse you, I accuse the king… of crimes against the sovereign nations of this country… of war crimes against our people.”

“I do not recognize the illegal occupation of this country,” he said.

He started with a megaphone, but police advised him to turn it off or face a fine.

Also on Sunday, the King presented the NSW Parliament with an hourglass to mark the 200th anniversary of the Upper House of Parliament.

He also gave a speech to guests in which he spoke of his “great joy” in visiting Australia for the first time as Sovereign, “and of the renewed love for this country and its people which I have so long cherished.”

An image of King and Queen Camilla was released on Saturday, the couple’s holiday, showing members of the royal family after their arrival on Friday at Admiralty House, the official residence of Australia’s governor-general, who represents the king in the country.

The couple are said to have been moved when the Sydney Opera House, which can be seen from the Admiralty, was lit up with a rotating projection of their images.

The king’s trip was marked by his being awarded the honorary titles of admiral of the fleet, field marshal and marshal of the three branches of the Australian Defense Force.

Elsewhere, the Commonwealth Universities Association, of which the King is patron, announced the launch of the Royal Commonwealth Scholarships scheme.

It was developed in response to pressing economic, social and environmental issues affecting small island developing States.

“We can learn a lot from each other as we work together as a Commonwealth to address the major challenges of our time and, like fellowships in small island developing states, address them where they are felt most acutely,” King said.

While in the Commonwealth country, the King’s visit will include support for environmental projects and a naval inspection in Sydney Harbour.

The 75-year-old monarch is also expected to meet two Australian scientists, Georgina Long and Richard Scolier, who have conducted pioneering research into melanoma, one of the most common cancers in the country.

A reception in honor of King Charles will be held in the capital on Monday, but the premiers of six states – New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania – said they would not be able to attend.

A post on Royal X’s account said the trip would include the king speaking to the Australian Parliament in the capital Canberra.

The king’s cancer treatment was suspended during his stay in Australia and during the next leg of the trip to Samoa, where he will attend a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.

The royal tour schedule does not include evening events, state dinners or late-day travel.

A message posted on the Royal Family’s social media account said: “Ahead of our first visit to Australia as King and Queen, we look forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinary rich cultures and communities that make it so special. “

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