Australian royal visit preparations underway with no set date
Talks have started about where King Charles might visit in Australia if he is well enough to travel down under later this year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the country is preparing for a possible visit with leaders of the States and Territories discussing possible options for the itinerary.
Buckingham Palace is yet to formally confirm a visit, but the King is expected to travel to the region to coincide with the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Samoa in October.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“The King has shown his compassion for Australians affected by recent natural disasters, just as Australians have shown compassion and support for the King following his cancer diagnosis,” Mr Albanese said.
“The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family are always welcome in Australia.”
However, the Government is seeking to dampen expectations of how widely the new monarch might travel, noting that each trip only usually has time for a limited number of engagements.
This would be the King’s first visit to Australia as the sovereign.
It would also be the first visit by a reigning monarch since 2011 when Queen Elizabeth II hosted CHOGM in Perth.
The King has previously made 15 official visits to Australia as the Prince of Wales.
Out of these visits, he has been to WA six times.
On two occasions he travelled to every State and Territory: in 1977 and again, famously, in 1983 with Diana, Princess of Wales, and a baby William. This later visit was depicted in The Crown.
He has been to Victoria the most out of any state, having spent a term studying at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus in the 1960s.
Queen Camilla was by his side during the previous three visits, in 2012, 2015 and 2018 for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
The 75-year-old was diagnosed with cancer in early February and stepped back from some of his public duties while undergoing treatment.
In recent weeks he has made some public appearances, including joining a meeting of the Privy Council and resuming in-person his weekly audiences with the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
