King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a Sunday service at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in northern Sydney, marking the beginning of their six-day visit to Australia.
This is King Charles’ first trip to the country since becoming head of state in September 2022 and his most significant engagement since starting cancer treatment in February.
The service, officiated by Sydney’s Archbishop, the Most Reverend Kanishka Raffel, saw the royal couple join congregation members before meeting well-wishers outside the church. Hundreds of people, many of whom had queued since early morning, gathered for the chance to meet the King and Queen.
Among them were Lyn Tarbuck and her husband Bob, who brought their King Charles spaniels to the event.
“I think the monarchy helps us out in times of need,” Lyn said, adding, “We’re a big country with a small population, so the more help, the better.”
Others, like Roslyn Durie, who met Queen Elizabeth during her 1980 visit, were emotional after shaking hands with the King. Sandra Hall greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla and recalled a lighthearted exchange about Sydney’s famously sunny weather.
“I said, ‘It’s a beautiful sunny day,’ and Charles replied, ‘It’s always sunny in Sydney.'”
However, not everyone was there to celebrate.
About 20 protesters gathered outside the church, holding banners and shouting slogans like “not our King.” Indigenous activist Wayne Wharton from Brisbane accused the King of crimes against Australia’s sovereign nations, calling for the decolonization of the country.
Wharton was briefly told by police to lower his megaphone or face a fine, but the protest continued peacefully.
The King and Queen’s tour includes meetings with political and community leaders, environmental projects, and a naval review in Sydney Harbour.
King Charles will also meet with Australian scientists Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer, known for their pioneering research on melanoma, a common cancer in the country.
King Charles’ visit has been marked by his appointment to honorary ranks in the Australian Defence Force, and he is expected to address the Australian parliament in Canberra.
His cancer treatment has been temporarily suspended during this trip, which will also take him to Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.
While no evening engagements or state dinners are planned, the Royal Family’s social media account shared a message from the King ahead of the tour: “We are looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special.”
The royal couple’s arrival on Friday was celebrated with a rolling projection of their images on the Sydney Opera House, viewed from Admiralty House, the official residence of Australia’s governor-general.
