The King and Queen Camilla last week embarked on a major six-day tour of Australia, the first official tour undertaken by the King since he became the head of state in the country in 2022. The royal couple kicked off their engagements with a Sunday service at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in Sydney, officiated by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel. This visit, which also encompasses environmental projects and meetings with politicians and leaders from the community, follows His Majesty’s recovery from the recent treatment for cancer.
The couple will participate in several major events, including the naval review in Sydney Harbour and a visit with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to discuss bushfire prevention. For Queen Camilla, her engagements focus on literacy and family violence, where she will join a workshop of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition in Sydney and attend a forum on domestic violence in Canberra. She and the king also will meet pioneering Australian melanoma researchers, Professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer.
The visit has not come without protest. A small group gathered outside the church and voiced their opposition to the visit, holding placards demanding Australia be decolonized. On the other hand, the trip marks celebrations of Australian culture and heritage as many royal supporters view the visit as the opportunity to meet the head of the monarchy.