Monarchical Fleet Review

Over many months, planning for the New South Wales Police Force’s Operation Royal Visit has taken place with them working with partner agencies, including the United Kingdom Royal & Specialist Protection Team, to provide an operational response.

18th October

The New South Wales (NSW) Police Force today begun Operation Royal Visit, which will run until Wednesday the 23rd of October.

Police will be deployed throughout Operation Royal Visit to provide a safe environment for the community.

A 100-metre exclusion zone will be in place around Kirribilli Point, from Beulah St Wharf to Kirribilli Wharf, starting at 4pm. It will be in place until the morning of the 23rd of October.

As part of Operation Royal Visit, a number of traffic diversions and road closures will be implemented.

In Kirribilli, a special event clearway will be operation from 5pm until 11:30am Wednesday the 23rd of October 2024 at the southern end of Carabella Street & the eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue, from where they intersect.

At around 6:50pm, the Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘ASY352’) business jet with King Charles & Queen Camilla on board entered New South Wales airspace over the northwest corner of the state, having departed from Singapore.

Police will also be deployed throughout Operation Royal Visit to manage the movement of King Charles III and Queen Camilla between engagements & to provide a safe environment for the visiting dignitaries.

Official Welcome

Held at 8:30pm

The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘ASY352’) business jet landed at Sydney Airport, taxied to the private terminal where King Charles walked out of the plane & down the airstairs to became the 2nd Australian Monarch to step on Australian soil, following his mother Queen Elizabeth II who did the same thing, though for the 1st time, in 1954. Queen Camilla followed, both wearing what they wore in their official Australian photo portraits minus regalia though Queen Camilla did wear the Australian Wattle Brooch. The King wore a different jacket than the one in the portrait.

This began their Spring Tour to Australia & Samoa, though the Sydney public can only see them on the 20th & 22nd of October.

They were greeted by the Australian Governor-General & Prime Minister as well as the NSW Governor & Premier amongst other dignitaries, their spouses & in the NSW Premier’s case, his mum. 2 North Adelaide residents, a 18-year-old sister & 12-year-old brother, Charlotte & Ky Exelby, the latter diagnosed with a serious blood disorder with the sister providing a bone marrow transplant to her brother, presented Queen Camilla with a bouquet of posies & talked with King Charles, fulfilling a lifelong wish thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The weather’s bad but it reminds me of England.

Charles R

The Royal couple then hopped into a car and left Sydney Airport with police escort, heading for Admiralty House on the shores of Sydney Harbour for a private meeting with the Australian Prime Minister and his partner & with a spot of tea.

Historic Australian Royal Charles/Camilla Visits Projection Show

Held from 8:55pm, every 4 minutes, until Midnight

We are lighting up the Sydney Opera House to warmly welcome The King & Queen to our beautiful harbour city.

The photo projection on the Opera House sails celebrates a historic moment – The King’s first visit to NSW as Sovereign & is a fitting tribute.

I’ve made the point previously in relation to the Opera House, when it comes to events that are taking place in Sydney that will be our primary objective.

I also invite everyone to the Opera House forecourt next Tuesday afternoon to join The King & Queen.

The King is coming to Sydney & we obviously want to make sure he is warmly welcomed & that is what we’re going to do.

NSW is looking forward to hosting this milestone visit & I encourage everyone to make the most of it.

Chris Minns, New South Wales Premier

The NSW Premier said it was important the King was warmly welcomed during his visit to Sydney. He said the “primary objective” in lighting up the Sydney Opera House would be to focus on events taking place in Sydney.

This will be the 2nd time the Sydney Opera House will be illuminated in recognition of a Royal event, though the 1st to be recognised as a ‘Sydney Spectacular‘. It was previously illuminated with an image of Queen Elizabeth II when she passed away in 2022. 

However, the start was delayed by 55 minutes due to the storm front that was hitting Sydney at the time. The storms also delayed a Cunard cruise ship, ironically, the Motor Ship Queen Elizabeth, that was due to leave the Overseas Passenger Terminal, a known location for the Opera House projectors, at 7pm.

The 4-minute loop, in biographical format, showcased photos, curated by the New South Wales (NSW) Government, from the life of Charles (excluding Diana, Princess Of Wales) from his trips to Australia with the most recent images including Camilla when she accompanied him to Australia as Duke & Duchess Of Cornwall. The show concludes with the official Australian photo portrait of King Charles III & Queen Camilla.

At Dawes Point, spectators and tourists in their hundreds had their cameras pointing to the Sydney Opera House. International media from the United Kingdom and Japan documented the historic projection show & interviewed attendees. 2 low-flying helicopters, most likely New South Wales Police, appeared above, indicating King Charles & Queen Camilla were nearing Admiralty House with the Australian Prime Minister and his partner. They were crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge at this time.

The private meeting at Admiralty House between King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Australian Prime Minister & his partner, with a spot of tea, then occurred where they walked in the garden, taking in the view & posing for photographs. More photos were taken back inside before the meeting formally went underway. It eventually finished later that night thus ending the 1st day of the Royal couple’s visits to Sydney.

Thank you for the special welcome, Australia!

It was a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese & Ms Haydon, upon arrival in Sydney.

Charles R & Camilla R

19th October

At 3:28pm, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) announced that the Australian Governor-General & ADF Commander-In-Chief, Sam Mostyn, had appointed King Charles the honorary ranks of:

• Field Marshal of the Australian Army,
• Admiral Of The Fleet of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN),
• Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force

The Governor-General Of Australia & Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Her Excellency The Honourable Sam Mostyn, Companion of the Order Of Australia (AC), said His Majesty’s appointments were an important symbol of connection, stability & strength:

Australians share His Majesty’s pride in the ADF, its sailors, soldiers and aviators & the loved ones who support them.

Her Excellency The Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, The Governor-General Of Australia & Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force

Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston, AC, RAN, said His Majesty’s honorary ranks reflected Australia’s close relationship with reigning monarchs:

The Sovereign serves as an example of service & His Majesty’s appointments are symbolic of the Royal Family’s longstanding dedication and relationship with the nation.

Since Australian Federation in 1901, Australia’s military forces have been custodians of great traditions connected to the Commonwealth & 123 years later, the Australian Defence Force is proud to continue this legacy.

Admiral David Johnston AC, RAN, Chief of the Australian Defence Force

King Charles & Queen Camilla remained at Admiralty House this day to rest.

20th October

At 10:15am, King Charles & Queen Camilla left Admiralty House, where Royal fans had been waiting outside its gates, in a motorcade with police escort for Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney.

At 10:25am, King Charles & Queen Camilla arrived at Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney to a cheering crowd of hundreds waving the Australian National Flag & Union Jacks. They met children from a local Sunday school, who they shook hands with & where King Charles was presented with a rugby ball, cricket ball & stuffed koala, for his grandchildren Princes George and Louis & Princess Charlotte.

At 10:30am, they were greeted by the Church’s rector, Micheal Mantle & his wife. Queen Camilla was given flowers by his wife, Ellie Mantle, as they proceeded into the church for a 1-hour service, officiated by the Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, The Most Reverend Kanishka Raffel & the Bishop of North Sydney, the Right Reverend Christopher Edwards.

It was a normal service, including several hymns, Bible readings (Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Acts 8:26-40) & several prayers including one delivered by Bishop Christopher Edwards, asking for the King & Queen’s protection, along with a hope the upcoming Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting in Samoa would be prosperous. He also asked for world peace and an end to wars. The Church’s rector concluded by thanking King Charles & Queen Camilla for their attendance & said it was an honour to host them. The Australian Governor-General & NSW Governor were also in attendance.

King Charles and Queen Camilla then signed 2 bibles in black pen, including one that belonged to Australia’s 1st minister, Richard Johnson, who was also the chaplain on the 1st Fleet.

Royal Viewing

Held at 11:30am

A cheering crowd of hundreds of North Sydney residents waving the Australian National Flag & Union Jacks met King Charles & Queen Camilla, one presented red roses to the latter while one presented kangaroo jerky to the former, as they left the service at Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church.

Those attending couldn’t bring umbrellas, banners, bulky equipment, large cameras or bags. Members of the North Sydney community had to arrive at McLaren Street to access the Church lawns no later than 11am to avoid road closures & for possible security screening. Space around the Church was very limited & amenities were limited and publicly minimal.

King Charles & Queen Camilla then hopped in different cars with King Charles heading to New South Wales Parliament House. Queen Camilla’s destination is Admiralty House to rest for the remainder of the day.

NSW Legislative Council Bicentenary Reception

Held at 11:50am

At 11:50am, King Charles arrived at the New South Wales Parliament House, where a crowd of several hundred had gathered outside. The King was met by NSW Governor, Margaret Beazley, the Legislative Council President, Ben Franklin, the Legislative Assembly Speaker, Greg Piper, the Usher of the Black Rod, Jenelle Moore & another parliamentary official. They walked down a red carpet to the stairs they take them inside to the reception celebrating the Legislative Council’s bicentenary.

King Charles was led by Legislative Council President, Ben Franklin, to a new painting by indigenous artist Kim Healey, which was commissioned to mark the Legislative Council’s bicentenary, in the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament House lobby. Featuring the Southern Cross as a symbol of guidance for all Australians, the painting is the 1st from an Indigenous artist in the building.

He was then taken past an exhibition on the Legislative Council, before arriving in the dining room where the reception for the Legislative Council bicentenary begun.

Sorry to interrupt your lunch.

Charles R

Trumpeters from NSW Police played as he walked into the room before being introduced as the King Of Australia. King Charles spoke to a few of the members of Parliament, including Kellie Sloane & James Griffin, Legislative Assembly member for the district of Vaucluse & Manly respectively, as he walked into the room before heading to the lectern to make a speech at 12pm.

President of the Legislative Council, Governor & Mr Wilson, Premier, Chief Justice, State Parliamentarians, distinguished guests, ladies & gentlemen.

Having been with you for your 150th anniversary, I am delighted & proud to be able to return to the Parliament of New South Wales, in order to celebrate the occasion of your bicentenary. I would be saying more at a reception in Canberra tomorrow but, uh, I cannot let this opportunity pass without saying a few words to mark this most important milestone.

It is fascinating, I think, to reflect back to, to 200 years ago & thinking about those times makes me wonder what that inaugural handful of members of the New South Wales Legislative Council would make of this Parliament today & of how this great state has progressed. Those original Council members were, as I understand it, squeezed into the old Government House not far from here & then moved into borrowed rooms, uh, in this building. From that vantage point, regardless of their optimism, it, uh, was, no doubt impossible to imagine what is now the vast, uh, & vibrant state of New South Wales which has grown & evolved alongside this legislature – alongside this legislature. To reflect on, uh, the story of this institution & this state, is to see the promise & power of representative democracy.

Generations of voices have been brought together for discussion & debate, grappling with each day’s challenges & opportunities, holding power to account & driving meaningful change. Democratic systems must evolve, of course, to remain fit for purpose but they are, nevertheless, essentially sound systems as I said in this building 50 years ago. When underpinned by wisdom & good faith, democracy has, I believe, an extraordinary capacity for innovation, comprise & adaptability as well as stability. Moreover, strong parliamentary systems like the one we celebrate on this special occasion are fundamental to the democracies that serve today’s diverse societies & are even more vital given the ever changing natural, social, economic & technological environment. Since I was here, uh, in 1974 & incidentally, I first came to Australia nearly, nearly 60 years ago, which is slightly worrying, this place & the people within it have continued to uphold strong representative traditions.

To everyone who has been a part of this, I can only offer my warmest congratulations & in the spirit of marking the passage of time, it is my great pleasure to present a small gift to the Parliament. It, t, is, in fact, an hourglass – a speech timer – to sit in the chamber & bear witness to the Legislative Council’s next chapter so with the sounds of time encouraging brevity, it just remains for me to say what a great joy it is to come to Australia for the 1st time as sovereign & to renew a love of this country and its people, which I have cherished for so long so thank you, thank you ladies & gentlemen for making me feel so very welcome.

Thank you.

Charles R

After the speech, he unveiled an hourglass to be used to time speeches in the Legislative Council, which he turned upside for the 1st time. It was handmade by the Goldsmiths’ Centre in London, with a cedar base using wood from the King’s Highgrove home. The NSW Chief Justice, Andrew Bell was in attendance.

At 12:20pm, King Charles then left the New South Wales Parliament House & crossed Macquarie Street to make an unscheduled meet & greet with people in the crowd, shaking hands with several of them.

He then hopped into a car for the trip back to Admiralty House where he hosted 2 separate audiences – one with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn & her husband, Simon Beckett & the other with the NSW Governor, Margaret Beazley – each an hour long.

King Charles & Queen Camilla then rested for the remainder of the day at Admiralty House.

21st October

At 10:52am, King Charles & Queen Camilla left Admiralty House by car for Sydney Airport’s private terminal. 15 minutes later, they hopped on their Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘EVY01’), which taxiied to the runway & took off 5 minutes later. At 11:20am, they left Sydney and exited New South Wales at 11:40am to enter the Australian Capital Territory.

A rehearsal of the Royal Australian Air Force jet flypasts for the Monarchical Fleet Review occurred at 1:20pm. The jets were an F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler & 2 F-35A Lightning II jets from the Royal Australian Air Force appearing over HMAS Watson on South Head, flying toward & over Admiralty House, on Kirribilli Point, all on Sydney Harbour.

At 6:20pm, King Charles & Queen Camilla on their Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘EVY01’) re-entered New South Wales (NSW) airspace thus meaning they have returned to NSW. Just after 6:40pm, they entered Sydney’s airspace thus meaning they have returned to Sydney. At 6:45pm, they were flying over the north of the Sydney metropolitan area turning around for landing at Sydney Airport, which they did 5 minutes before taxiing to the private terminal, where they hopped off the aircraft at 7:05pm & entered a car, which took them to Admiralty House at Kirribilli Point on the shores of Sydney Harbour where they rested for the remainder of the day

22nd October

The King and Queen will conduct a Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy, in Sydney Harbour.

At a library in Sydney, Her Majesty will meet children participating in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop.

Their Majesties will attend a community BBQ in Western Sydney, sampling a range of produce from across New South Wales, experiencing the cultural diversity of Australian communities and meeting local residents.

Buckingham Palace

His Majesty King Charles III & Her Majesty Queen Camilla visited Sydney on Tuesday the 22nd of October.

Access to the Sydney Opera House from The Domain & the Royal Botanic Gardens was closed from 10:30am.

The fleet review & accompanying meet and greet are currently the only public events that you can see Their Majesties during their visit to Sydney.

Before that, at 10:35am, King Charles & Queen Camilla left Admiralty House separately by car. 10 minutes later, the Queen visited Refettorio, a restaurant in Surry Hills run by OzHarvest, a food rescue organisation, while at 10:50am the King visited Redfern’s National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, where he met dignitaries, including the Chief Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Jody Broun, was welcomed to Country & participated in a smoking ceremony. He also privately met Elders.

At 11am, at Refettorio, Queen Camilla met dignitaries before putting on an Oz Harvest apron to help cook. After cooking for a few minutes, she took a seat at a table to eat a meal.

At 11:20am, King Charles watched an Indigenous dance performance & a demonstration of traditional food preparation techniques.

At 11:30am, Queen Camilla left Refettorio, meeting members of the public along the way, before, 15 minutes later, arriving at Green Square Library where she met the Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moor & greeted other dignitaries. The library is hosting a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop so for a discussion on the competition, as Vice-Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Queen Camilla then sat at a table which has students who have entered the competition already there. She also met other attendees of the workshop series & as Patron of The Queen’s Reading Room, met esteemed best-selling authors including Liane Moriarty and Tom Keneally, the latter of Schindler’s Ark fame & local book club and author representatives.

At 11:55am, King Charles left the National Centre For Indigenous Excellence in Redfern & by car, headed to & arrived at the Homes New South Wales (NSW) project in Glebe on Cowper Street. He was greeted on arrival by the NSW Premier, Chris Minns who introduced him to the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. They talked about sustainable housing. 15 minutes later, The King & all dignitaries then donned hi-visibility vests & hard hats for a tour of the construction site, escorted by the NSW Premier& met construction apprentices and beneficiaries of social housing projects from neighbouring communities as well as Julie Bishop, King’s Trust chairperson, who is funding the Homes New South Wales (NSW) project in Glebe, which King Charles then unveiled a plaque at.

At 12:25pm, Queen Camilla finished her discussion & left the table to present some awards to some of the students. The Workshop then had a group photo on the Library’s staircase with the Queen. She then left Green Square Library in a car. Shortly after, King Charles took off the hi-visibilty vests & hard hat in order to depart from the Homes NSW project site on Cowper Street in Glebe, which he did in a car.

At 1:05pm, at Parramatta Park, the King & Queen were reunited at the Western Sydney Community Barbeque, where they were welcomed by their host, the Premier & Deputy Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns & Prue Car respectively. King Charles participated in another smoking ceremony, this time with Queen Camilla. They were greeted by 500 guests of the region’s diverse community include community leaders and organisations, volunteers & individuals who have excelled in their field with some children giving King Charles & Queen Camilla flower crowns, one of which the Queen tried on, before they both had a go at barbecuing after meeting surf lifesavers.

15 minutes later, the King visited some of the food & beverage stalls. The Western Sydney Community Barbeque had support from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW. At the event, the King & Queen sampled New South Wales produce such as organic chicken. AT 1:35pm, King Charles & Queen Camilla watched a sheep dog trial with grazier Murray Wilkinson, who brought his flock of sheep, his prized border collie named Meg & kelpie named Colt as well as a dozen Indian runner ducks to the Community Barbeque. Organic chicken farmers, Tim Eyes and Hannah Greenshields, from Wyong Creek were also in attendance.

20 minutes later, renowned chef, Adam Liaw, wass Master Of Ceremonies at the stage. He introduced the Premier Of New South Wales (NSW), Chris Minns, who stepped up to make a speech. King Charles followed him in making a speech.

Thank you so much, ladies & gentleman. Thanks for being here & we thank the Darug people for welcoming us onto their land. For all of us today, what a great honour we get to tell our family & our friends that we had a barbeque with the King & the Queen. It’s not the kind of thing that you’ll easily forget.

Your Majesty, this might be your 1st visit to Australia as a Sovereign but it’s certainly not your 1st visit as a friend. For 60 years, you’ve been coming to our city and our state & in that time, you’ve witnessed… you’ve witnessed the latest chapter in the long story of change that’s happened in Western Sydney. That story starts in ancient times as the home & hunting ground of the Burramattagal people then prior to self-government as the centre of farming and agriculture in New South Wales & since then, in our lifetime, the heart of multicultural Australia. In the same way that the British Commonwealth pulls together 56 nations into a single body, Western Sydney has stitched the world into a single community & without being too immodest, I think it’s an example to the world of how we can live together as 1 people despite our differences. That success is built on our citizens, on everyone here today but it also comes from the principles & traditions of British democracy & British law: Parliamentary sovereignty, government by the people & now because of these strengths, we’re a country that stands for freedom & hope around the world.

Friends, on Sunday morning, His Majesty visited our State Parliament to recognise 200 years of self-rule in New South Wales & he gave us a very thoughtful gift and from my perspective as Premier, a very useful one too. He gave the Parliament a new hourglass timekeeper, in his words, ‘to encourage brevity in speeches from politicians’ (crowd laughs) so Your Ma…(chuckles) so Your…Don’t cheer that! So Your Majesty, I’m going to follow this lesson so thank you to all for coming here today & a special thanks to the farmers and the Royal Agricultural Society who fed us this afternoon and who continue to deliver the best produce in the entire world. (crowd claps) You’ve all…You’ve all…Thank you. You’ve all been invited here because of your exceptional contribution to this state so please join me now in showing how we welcome guests in Australia & how grateful we all are to have His Majesty in our country. Please welcome His Majesty.

Chris Minns, NSW Premier

Uh, Premier and, and, and Mrs Minns, Deputy Premier and Mr Hull & um, Matthew Doyle, if I may say so, for the moving welcome uh, onto the beautiful lands of the Dar, Darug people on, on, on which we’re gathered today so thank you very much for that very kind introduction.

I knew I should’ve brought the egg timer that, along with me just to check that I didn’t go on for too long but having visited, uh, Western, uh, Sydney on a number of occasions over more than 50 years now from Liverpool to Richmond, uh, it is always a particular pleasure to return to the, to the neighbourhood & that is why, if I may say so, I’m, I’m so delighted to be here in Parramatta. An excellent choice for a community barbeque since Parramatta was a place, uh, where First Nations people from around the region also came together for generations to meet & trade food so it’s a particular delight to see & smell all the top tucker here today from Western Sydney’s vibrant & diverse community.

Ever since I, I 1st came to Australia very nearly, can you believe this, 60 years ago to attend school in, uh, Geelong & uh, also to hack my way through the bush country around Mansfield in Victoria, the generous spirit of Australians has always made me feel welcome & that is true again today so my wife and I are really glad to be back in Sydney but especially pleased to be here in, in Parramatta for the 1st time. It’s also a great joy to renew my long association with the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales which for more than 200 years has carried out such outstanding work to champion the farming community & the production of the highest quality produce as we are happily rediscovering today, New South Wales farmers continue to produce truly outstanding food & wine. It is no wonder, I think, that Sydney is, uh, world-famous for its cuisine, whether its smashed avo, uh, a pav or a cab sav, uh, &, uh, that is what I hope has been on display.

(puts sheet of paper under another)

Now, ever since, um, IIIIIII…(tries to turn to another sheet of paper)…God almighty, they’ve done 2 pages of this bloody thing, right. (crowd laughs) (put sheet of paper under another) You’re seriously kidding me.

Anyway, I must say it is a real pleasure to have just have this chance to try this produce but also crucially, to meet, uh, the people who make it happen, working tirelessly in all seasons and in all weathers & developing an intimate understanding of the importance of caring for nature & making it part & parcel of their endeavours so being here in Western Sydney also gives me an opportunity to see it 1st hand what I’ve heard about before & that is that Parramatta and the region around it has become 1 of the most dynamic, enterprising and culturally diverse communities in the world & I just want to particularly acknowledge the community leaders and volunteers who are here today & who contribute so much to Western Sydney and beyond. As I said when I was in Australia back in 2012, our volunteers are the glue which, um, holds together such a diverse, energetic & determined society. I always have the greatest admiration for them & the wonderful work they do for their communities so thank you everyone for coming to join us at this barbie today & more particularly, thank you for the contribution you make to your local communities & beyond.

Thank you, ladies & gentlemen.

Charles R

5 minutes later, King Charles & Queen Camilla left the Western Sydney Community Barbeque to return, by car, to Admiralty House at Kirribilli Point on Sydney Harbour.

Gates to the Sydney Opera House accessible from East Circular Quay/Macquarie Street will opened at 2:30pm & portable toilets were available. There was a sold-out designated accessible viewing area reserved for people with a disability and/or accessibility needs but there was no access to the Northern Forecourt.

Security screenings were conducted at the Sydney Opera House) & large bags, banners or umbrellas are not allowed at the event.

At 2:45pm, King Charles attended the Sustainable Markets Initiative Discussion at Admiralty House with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn. At the same time, Queen Camilla rested until 4:20pm.

At 3:30pm, King Charles attended the launch of the King’s Foundation Australia, of which he is Royal Founding President, at a reception in Admiralty House with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, New South Wales (NSW) Governor, Margaret Beazley, the NSW Heritage Minister, Penny Sharpe & King’s Foundation Australia Chairman, Dominic Richards. After 2 speeches were made, neither by the King but 1 by the Chairman, he unveiled a plaque commemorating the launch. The King was now running a bit behind schedule, so even though Queen Camilla was just resting, they were both now behind schedule as a result.

There were road closures in place, particularly from 3:50pm.

At 4:10pm, King Charles visited Melanoma Institute Australia in Wollstonecraft with the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese & the Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Matthew Browne, where he met the current Australians Of The Year, Professors Georgina Long AO & Richard Scolyer AO, to hear about their world-leading cancer research and treatment.  They demonstrated scanning equipment and introduced him to a patient and members of the Institue’s staff. At 4:20pm, his wife picked him up by car.

AO (Officer of the Order of Australia)

Meet & Greet

Held between 4:15pm & 5pm

At 4:15pm, on Sydney Harbour, the entertainment begun with a helicopter coming in from the east flying the Australian National Flag underneath. It was later joined by a helicopter flying the Royal Australian Navy Ensign underneath, which also flew in from the east.

At 4:30pm, King Charles & Queen Camilla arrived by car at the Sydney Opera House.

Their Majesties conducted a meet & greet at the Sydney Opera House forecourt, accompanied by the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns & his wife. They began by walking up the Monumental Steps to the Podium, where they met performers that day at the Sydney Opera House including Joanna Lumley, Heather Mitchell & members of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.

The King & Queen then signed a visitor’s book before heading over to the western side for formal photos with the NSW Premier & his wife. They then descended the steps at the bottom of which they met members of the public. There were 7000 people in attendance.

While gifts were not encouraged, in line with the Buckingham Palace gift policy, non-commercial gifts & flowers were facilitated for offering to Their Majesties, though they may not have been subjected to a security screening.

At the north-eastern end of the Southern Forecourt heading east, the King & Queen then watched a dance performance choreographed to a song called Follow Your Dreams from school children who performed in last year’s Schools Spectacular. Afterwards, the King & Queen had photos with the performers & that concluded the meet and greet.

Monarchical Fleet Review

Held between 5pm & 5:45pm.

On Sydney Harbour, His Majesty King Charles III & Queen Camilla conducted a review of 5 ships of the Royal Australian Navy fleet.

The fleet review was historically significant as it was the 1st ever conducted by the reigning Monarch or Queen consort on Sydney Harbour.

The flagship for the Monarchical Fleet Review is the Admiral Hudson, a Kingfisher cruiser, which has been fixed up for the Fleet Review:

It’s a bit of preparation…

We want to put on a good show & we are on the best harbour in the world so you want to make sure that we set the standard there.

I think it’s appropriate having the King here for the 1st time that we do welcome him thoroughly & I think it will be a good visual spectacular for people in Sydney.

Rear Admiral Christopher Smith, Australian Fleet Commander

At 5pm, the King & Queen were welcomed at the eastern end of the Southern Forecourt by the Governor-General Of Australia, Sam Mostyn & the Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Admiral David Johnston.

A Guard of Australian Army soldiers then performed a Royal Salute while the Royal Military College Band performed God Save The King, after which The King & Queen inspected the Guard. At the end of the inspection, The King was presented, by the Australian Army, with a wooden box, which holds a glass plate inside, all with Royal ciphers & Australian fauna references.

Afterwards, at Man O’War Steps, he was introduced to the Chief of The Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond before boarding the Fleet Review’s flagship, the Admiral Hudson.

Their Majesties then left Man O’ War Steps on board the Admiral Hudson, travelling past the small crowds around Farm Cove, namely at the Opera House gates of the Royal Botanic Gardens & Mrs Macquarie’s Point, before reviewing 5 ships of the Royal Australian Navy fleet, a significantly slimmed down fleet review compared to the major ones of 1986, 1988 & 2013. These ships, anchored in Sydney Harbour, were:

• HMAS Warramunga
• HMAS Arunta
• HMAS Gascoyne
• HMAS Hobart
• HMAS Yarra

HMAS stands for His Majesty’s Australian Ship.

Sailors of ships unable to attend were positioned along the northern foreshore of Garden Island to salute the King.

Their Majesties were accompanied on the Admiral Hudson by the Australian Governor-General, ADF Chief & the RAN Chief.

At 5:20pm, MH-60R ‘Romeo’ and EC-135 helicopters from the Royal Australian Navy, UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the Australian Army, along with a Bell UH-1 Iroquois ‘Huey’ helicopter from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, appeared over HMAS Watson on South Head, flying toward & over Admiralty House on Kirribilli Point.

At 5:25pm, the gates to the Sydney Opera House from The Domain & the Royal Botanic Gardens were reopened.

Their Majesties finished at Admiralty House via the Admiral Hudson at 5:45pm, with an F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler & 2 F-35A Lightning II jets from the Royal Australian Air Force appearing over HMAS Watson, also flying toward & over Admiralty House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At this point, access to the Sydney Opera House’s Northern Forecourt was reopened.

On Admiralty House’s wharf, the King & Queen were then given a couple of gifts from the Royal Australian Navy, in the form of caps & a book. King Charles & Queen Camilla then went inside Admiralty House where they rested for the remainder of the day.

Cruises

• TooUp Sailing ($150 per person, maximum 12 people, includes chilled glass of champagne, a large sharing antipasto platter. Additional drinks can be purchased on board. Departed King Street Wharf 9 3:15pm for 3.5 hours)
• Princess Cruises ($55 per adult, $40 per child, includes tea, coffee & a live commentary of Sydney Harbour and its surrounds. Departed Circular Quay’s Eastern Pontoon 4:15pm for 1.75 hours).

Boating Advice

Vessels had to observe a 6-knot no-wash speed limit when within 200 metres of any Royal Australian Navy or official vessel during the Monarchical Fleet Review.

An exclusion zone of at least 100 metres was enforced around all Royal Australian Navy vessels at anchor & other official vessels during the Monarchical Fleet Review.

I invite everyone to head to the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on the afternoon of Tuesday 22 October to attend this special event.

I look forward to hosting Their Majesties at the Western Sydney community barbeque to showcase this state’s rich culinary & cultural diversity, where they will also meet with a range of community organisations & outstanding Australians.

It is wonderful His Majesty is taking the time to meet with current Australians of the Year (also NSW Australians of the Year 2024), Professor Georgina Long AO & Professor Richard Scolyer AO.

Chris Minns, NSW Premier

23rd Of October

At 11:05am, King Charles & Queen Camilla left Admiralty House at Kirribilli Point on Sydney Harbour, by car with police escort.

25 minutes later, they arrived at Sydney Airport’s private terminal, where they were greeted & farewelled by dignitaries including the Governor-General Of Australia, Sam Mostyn, the New South Wales (NSW) Governor, Margaret Beazley & the Deputy Premier of NSW, Prue Car. They then climbed the airstairs, turned around & waved goodbye before boarding their Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘ASY348’).

At 11:45am, their jet taxied to the “3rd” runway, where it took off at 12:02pm, turning east immediately after take-off, flying to the coast just north of Maroubra where they went out over the Pacific Ocean, leaving Sydney airspace thus meaning King Charles & Queen Camilla have left Sydney. Their jet turned northeast over the Pacific Ocean & left NSW and Australian airspace simultaneously thus meaning King Charles & Queen Camilla had left NSW & Australia.

Other Spring Tour Events

This was part of the King Charles III’s 1st visit to Sydney as reigning Monarch, which was also part of a trip to the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting in Samoa, which is being held on the 21st-26th October.

The trip, which began on Friday the 18th of October by flying over Western Australia, via Broome, the Northern Territory, via Uluru, and northeastern South Australia, & concludes on Saturday the 26th of October, also visited Canberra, the capital city of Australia, on Monday the 21st of October, where Their Majesties visited the Australian War Memorial (at 12:35pm), Parliament House, which hosted a Ceremonial Welcome (at 1pm) and a public meet & greet (at 2:10pm), Government House & the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the latter 2 places Queen Camilla held discussions on family/domestic violence & met GIVIT representatives respectively. At Government House, King Charles performed some official business while later, he also visited the National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory.

On Saturday the 26th of October, Their Majesties also flew over Queensland (2:45pm-3:45pm) & the Northern Territory (4:15pm-7:10pm), with a 1-hour stopover in Darwin for refuelling at 6pm local time.

Unofficial Events

The Australian Monarchist League had a large team of volunteers who handed out 12,000 flags at most places King Charles & Queen Camilla visited in Sydney & Canberra as well as hosting a sold-out 3-hour reception by the Parliamentary Friends Of The Australian Constitution with Sir Peter Cosgrove on the 22nd of October at 6pm in the New South Wales Parliament House’s Jubilee Room (Cost AUD$100 per person included canapes & a drink package):

This (Welcoming the above news) is particularly following his (NSW Premier, Chris Minns) mean-spirited cancellation of the lighting of the Opera House sails for His Majesty’s coronation in May 2023 & his open admission this week that he is a republican.

We are an Australian organisation without any ties to any other Monarchist organisation & this is the sort of positive thing (handing out flags) we have always done over the past 25 years for all tours by our former Queen, Elizabeth II & Charles, as Prince Of Wales and now Charles III as King Of Australia.

Phillip Benwell, Australian Monarchist League National Chair

The Australian Republic Movement hosted Not The Royal Visit drinks on Monday between 5pm & 6pm at Badger & Co in the Australian National University’s Health & Wellbeing Centre:

The Australian Republic Movement is hosting a series of events on Sunday & Monday to coincide with the King’s visit. These gatherings will provide a platform for republic supporters to connect and ensure the conversation around an Australian head of state remains vibrant and forward-looking. The Sydney event is set for Sunday, 20 October 2024, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Customs House Bar, 19 Macquarie Place, Sydney.

As we reflect on events like the Opera House being illuminated with images from past royal visits, we’re reminded of Australia’s historical ties to the monarchy. Lighting up the Opera House for King Charles may be a respectful nod to tradition, but it also underscores the growing belief that our national symbols should reflect our identity & aspirations. The Opera House, a powerful emblem of our creativity & independence, deserves to celebrate a future where an Australian head of state—chosen by & for Australians—is the figure we honour. I would ask all of those who will look up at the sails of the Opera House on Friday to ask themselves, do the British royals really represent a modern Australian democracy?

While the Royal tour will undoubtedly attract those who admire the monarchy’s celebrity allure, we know that many Australians are ready to look beyond this. For those who enjoy the spectacle, it’s the 1st opportunity in over a decade to see a reigning Australian monarch. Yet, for a growing number, it’s time to envision a new chapter for Australia — one where we are represented by 1 of our own as head of state.

Nathan Hansford, Australian Republic Movement Co-Chair