King Charles and Queen Camilla are coming to Canberra on 18 October. Photo: Australian Government.
The national spotlight will be on Canberra when King Charles and Queen Camilla visit Australia next month, with dates and details of their itinerary of their eight-day tour released by Buckingham Palace.
The King and Queen will arrive in Australia on 18 October and visit just the national capital and Sydney before attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa.
It will be the King’s first royal tour as monarch and comes in a year in which he has been undergoing treatment for cancer.
The King and Queen last visited Canberra in 2015 when he was Prince of Wales.
The visit will also coincide with the ACT election on 19 October.
A statement from the palace said the King and Queen would be welcomed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House where His Majesty would address a reception attended by political and community leaders, and prominent Australians who had demonstrated outstanding achievement in a variety of fields, including health, arts, culture and sports.
The royal couple will also lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, For Our Country.
Acknowledging a long-held interest in the environment and sustainability, the King will visit CSIRO, meeting firefighters and learning more about its work to combat bushfires.
They will also tour the Australian National Botanic Gardens where they will learn about Indigenous plant use and hear from staff and volunteers about how climate change is affecting biodiversity.
The King will meet cancer researchers Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, both Australians of the Year, and hear about the work they do to help those affected by melanoma.
The Queen’s desire to raise awareness of domestic and family violence will have her joining a discussion on the issue with some of those whose lives have been affected by it, and experts who work in the field.
Her Majesty will also meet representatives of GIVIT, a charity which matches donors with those in need, of which she is patron.
In Sydney, the King and Queen will conduct a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbour.
They will attend a community barbecue in Western Sydney, sampling a range of produce from across NSW, experiencing the cultural diversity of Australian communities and meeting local residents.
The King will also meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and groups to learn about their work in supporting local community and strengthening culture.
The Queen will visit children at a library where she will meet children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop.
The tour concludes on 26 October in Samoa.
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