Tag: ‘Extraordinary’ Sydney Spectaculars

12:13pm: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘ASY348’) that is carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla has turned northeast over the Pacific Ocean & has since left New South Wales (NSW) and Australian airspace simultaneously thus meaning King Charles & Queen Camilla have left NSW & Australia. With that, that concludes our live blog for the Royal visits to Sydney. We don’t expect King Charles & Queen Camilla to return to Australia until 2028 at the earliest but that could have been their last trip to Sydney as in Queen Elizabeth II’s final 3 trips to Australia, when she was 75-85 (King Charles is currently 75), she only visited Sydney once & that was on her penultimate trip so until the next Royal visit (we hope), unless Australia becomes a republic where there will be no more Royal visits, this is Sydney Spectaculars signing off. Goodbye!

12:04pm: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘ASY348’) that is carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla turned east immediately after take-off and flew 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.

12:02pm: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘ASY348’) that is carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla has now taken off from Sydney Airport’s 3rd runway.

11:45am: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘ASY348’) that is carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla is now taxiing to the runway.

11:30am: King Charles & Queen Camilla have arrived at Sydney Airport’s private terminal. 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’).

11:05am: Welcome to Day 6, the final day, of our live blog! King Charles & Queen Camilla have just left Admiralty House at Kirribilli Point on Sydney Harbour, by car with police escort, for Sydney Airport’s private terminal, where they should arrive in 25 minutes.

22nd Of October

11pm: To anyone who wants to see the Royal Australian Air Force flyover of 4 jets up Sydney Harbour which concluded the Monarchical Fleet Review, click ‘Watch LIVE’ and you will find a video from Sky News United Kingdom of the whole Meet And Greet & Review, which has the concluding flypast. Again, we will be back tomorrow morning to cover their departure from Sydney, New South Wales & Australia.

6pm: And with that Royal Australian Air Force flyover of 4 jets up Sydney Harbour (which the Australian Broadcasting Corporation did not show in their broadcast), that concludes the Monarchical Fleet Review! After being giving a couple of gifts from the Royal Australian Navy, in the form of caps & a book on Admiralty House’s wharf, King Charles & Queen Camilla are now inside Admiralty House where they will rest for the remainder of the day. With that, that concludes our live blog for this the 5th day of the Royal visits to Sydney. We will be back tomorrow morning to cover their departure from Sydney, New South Wales & Australia. Until then!

4:30pm: BREAKING NEWS After been picked up by his wife at Melanoma Institute Australia, King Charles & Queen Camilla have arrived by car at the Sydney Opera House for the Monarchical Fleet Review! Click ‘Watch LIVE’ to watch it live! We will leave the blog here to enjoy it!

4:15pm: We are live on the Pearl on Sydney Harbour. The entertainment has just begun with a helicopter coming in from the east flying the Australian National Flag underneath.

4:10pm: King Charles is now visiting Melanoma Institute Australia in Wollstonecraft with the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, where he is meeting the Australians Of The Year. Queen Camilla is still at Admiralty House resting.

3:30pm: King Charles is now attending the launch of the King’s Foundation Australia 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. After 2 speeches were made, neither by the King, he unveiled a plaque commemorating the launch. Queen Camilla is still at Admiralty House resting. The King is running a bit behind schedule, so they are both now behind schedule even though Queen Camilla is just resting.

2:45pm: King Charles is now attending the Sustainable Markets Initiative Discussion at Admiralty House with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn. Queen Camilla is at Admiralty House resting.

2pm: King Charles & Queen Camilla have now left the Western Sydney Community Barbeque to return, by car, to Admiralty House at Kirribilli Point on Sydney Harbour.

1:55pm: Renowned chef, Adam Liaw, is Master Of Ceremonies at the Western Sydney Community Barbeque. He is now introducing the Premier Of New South Wales (NSW), Chris Minns, who steps up to make a speech. King Charles follows 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

1:35pm: King Charles & Queen Camilla are now watching a sheep dog trial at the Western Sydney Community Barbeque.

1:20pm: King Charles is visiting some of the food & beverage stalls at the Western Sydney Community Barbeque.

1:05pm: King Charles has taken off the hi-visibilty vests & hard hat in order to depart from the Homes NSW project site on Cowper Street in Glebe. He then hopped into a car, which took him to Parramatta Park, where he was reunited with his wife 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 has participated in another smoking ceremony, this time with Queen Camilla. They were greeted by 500 guests 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.

12:25pm: Queen Camilla has finished her discussion & has left the table to present some awards to some of the students. Before she left, the Workshop had a group photo on the Library’s staircase. She then left Green Square Library in a car to join the King at Parramatta Park for a barbecue with the Western Sydney community in 25 minutes.

12:10pm: The King and all dignitaries donned hi-visibility vests & hard hats for a tour of the construction site, where he was introduced to 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.

11:55am: King Charles has left the National Centre For Indigenous Excellence in Redfern & by car, has headed to & arrived at a Homes New South Wales (NSW) project in Glebe on Cowper Street. He was greeted on arrival by the NSW Premier, Chris Minns who introduces him to the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

11:45am: Queen Camilla has arrived at Green Square Library where she met the Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, before moving inside to greet dignitaries. The library is hosting a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop so for a discussion on the competition, Queen Camilla has now sat at a table which has students who have entered the competition already there.

11:30am: Queen Camilla is now leaving Refettorio meeting members of the public along the way.

11:20am: King Charles is now watching an Indigenous dance performance by the Brolga Dance Academy.

11:05am: The cooking is now done & Queen Camilla has taken seat at a table in Refettorio to eat a meal.

11am: Queen Camilla is now meeting dignitaries at Refettorio before putting on an Oz Harvest apron to help cook.

10:55am: King Charles is meeting Elders (privately) & other dignitaries at the National Centre For Indigenous Excellence, where they conduct a Welcome To Country & smoking ceremony.

10:50am: King Charles has arrived at the National Centre For Indigenous Excellence in Redfern.

10:45am: Queen Camilla has just arrived at Refettorio, a restaurant in Surry Hills run by OzHarvest, a food rescue organisation.

10:35am: Welcome to Day 5, the big day, of our live blog! King Charles & Queen Camilla have just left Admiralty House separately by car. King Charles is heading to the National Centre For Indigenous Excellence in Redfern while Queen Camilla is heading to Refettorio, a Surry Hills restaurant.

21st of October

7:25pm: King Charles & Queen Camilla have returned to Admiralty House to rest for the remainder of the day before tomorrow’s big day. With that, that concludes our live blog for this 4th day of the Royal visits to Sydney. We will be back tomorrow at 10:30am to cover the 5th & biggest day of their visits to Sydney which begins with a visit to the National Centre For Indigenous Excellence in Redfern before culminating at 4:50pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time with the historic Monarchical Fleet Review on Sydney Harbour. Until then!

7:05pm: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘EVY01’) business jet carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla has arrived at the private terminal. Their Majesties have hopped off the aircraft & entered a car, which is now taking them to Admiralty House at Kirribilli Point on the shores of Sydney Harbour, which they should reach in 20 minutes.

6:50pm: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘EVY01’) business jet carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla has landed at Sydney Airport and is taxiing to the private terminal.

6:45pm: In the last few minutes, the Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘EVY01’) business jet carrying King Charles & Queen Camilla entered Sydney’s airspace thus meaning they have returned to Sydney. They are currently flying over the north of the Sydney metropolitan area turning around for landing at Sydney Airport, which should happen shortly.

6:25pm: 5 minutes ago, King Charles & Queen Camilla on their Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘EVY01’) have re-entered New South Wales (NSW) airspace thus meaning they have returned to NSW. They should be touching down in Sydney in 30 minutes.

5:10pm: Welcome back to our live blog of Day 4 of the Royal visits to Sydney! The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has announced they will be showing the Monarchical Fleet Review in full tomorrow live on ABC News 24 in place of normal programming. The program called Royal Tour: King Charles In Sydney begins at 4pm & finishes at 6pm. King Charles & Queen Camilla are still in the Australian Capital Territory but will shortly return to New South Wales & Sydney.

11:40am: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘EVY01’) that is flying King Charles & Queen Camilla to Canberra has just left New South Wales (NSW) airspace. King Charles & Queen Camilla have, therefore, left NSW. With that, that concludes our live blog for now. We will be back later this afternoon to cover their return to New South Wales & Sydney.

11:20am: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘EVY01’) that is flying King Charles & Queen Camilla to Canberra has just left Sydney airspace. King Charles & Queen Camilla have, therefore, left Sydney.

11:15am: The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘EVY01’) that is flying King Charles & Queen Camilla to Canberra has just taken off from Sydney Airport.

11:10am: King Charles & Queen Camilla have arrived at Sydney Airport’s private terminal & hopped on their Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ business jet (‘EVY01’), which is now taxiing to the runway.

10:55am: Welcome to Day 4 of our live blog! King Charles & Queen Camilla have just left Admiralty House by car for Sydney Airport to catch a flight to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.

20th of October

2:20pm: King Charles has finished his 2 audiences with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn & New South Wales Governor, Margaret Beazley. He & Queen Camilla will now rest for the remainder of the day at Admiralty House before making their trip to Canberra tomorrow. With that, that concludes our live blog for this 3rd day of the Royal visits. We will be back tomorrow to cover their departure from New South Wales to the Australian Capital Territory & their return.

1:15pm: King Charles is now back at Admiralty House where is holding 2 audiences – one with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn & the other with the New South Wales Governor, Margaret Beazley.

12:25pm: 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 will host a couple of audiences.

The reception celebrating the bicentenary of the Legislative Council means Friday night’s arrival at Sydney Airport was an official welcome in the end, though not a public one, with Canberra’s welcome at Parliament House tomorrow being entirely ceremonial & public. This means Monarchical Welcomes are still traditionally celebrated in Sydney for the 1st visit of the reigning monarch.

12:15pm: 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 Strangers’ Function Room where at a 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 this reception. The King will shortly leave the New South Wales Parliament House to return to Admiralty House for a couple of audiences.

11:50am: King Charles has 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 & 2 senior parliamentary officials. They walked down a red carpet to the stairs they take them inside to the reception celebrating the Legislative Council’s bicentenary.

11:30am: King Charles & Queen Camilla have left Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney & in a surprise, met the cheering crowd of hundreds waving the Union Jack before hopping in different cars with King Charles heading to the New South Wales Parliament House for a reception celebrating the bicentenary of the Legislative Council. Queen Camilla’s destination is Admiralty House to rest for the remainder of the day.

10:35am: King Charles & Queen Camilla have arrived at Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney to a cheering crowd of hundreds waving the Union Jack. 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.

They then entered the Church for a service, finishing at 11:30am, when North Sydney residents can see them.

10:25am: King Charles & Queen Camilla have 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.

8:10am: Welcome to Day 3 of our live blog! After leaving Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church in a few hours’ time, King Charles will head to the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament House’s Legislative Council at 11:50am to celebrate its bicentenary with a gift & meet NSW Premier Chris Minns. At 12:20pm, he will then head back to Admiralty House to hold audiences with the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn & the NSW Governor, Margaret Beazley.

Later this week, he will also attend & participate in an Indigenous smoking ceremony with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities, becoming the 1st reigning Australian monarch to participate in one.

19th Of October

8:30pm: King Charles & Queen Camilla have remained at Admiralty House over the past 3 hours meaning they have not attended The Everest horse racing meeting, preferring a full rest day, especially the Monarch from jet lag accumulated from his trip from London. Queen Camilla came from Singapore, a shorter but still lengthy flight – about 8 hours long.

That concludes our live blog for this 2nd day of the Royal visits. We will be back at 11:30am for their appearance leaving Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney.

5:45pm: King Charles & Queen Camilla have remained at Admiralty House over the past hour meaning the Monarch has missed a horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse in his honour. It is now highly likely, though not unexpected, that King Charles & Queen Camilla will make the most of their rest day to, understandably, rest, especially the Monarch from jet lag, due to his recent trip from London on the other side of the world to Sydney via Singapore where his wife joined him.

4:45pm: The New South Wales Government has announced that North Sydney residents will be able to see King Charles & Queen Camilla leave a service at Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church at 11.30am tomorrow (Sunday 20 October).

Those attending cannot bring umbrellas, banners, bulky equipment, large cameras or bags. Saint Thomas’ Anglican Church is on the corner of McLaren & Church Streets. Members of the North Sydney community must 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 is very limited & amenities are limited and publicly minimal.

Non-North Sydneysiders will have another chance to see Their Majesties at the Sydney Opera House & during the Monarchical Fleet Review on Tuesday 22 October.

Meanwhile, King Charles & Queen Camilla have remained at Admiralty House for the past hour including missing The Everest horse race at Royal Randwick Racecourse. The King Charles III Stakes horse race is at 5:35pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time.

3:45pm: The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has announced that the Australian Governor-General & Commander-In-Chief Of The ADF, Sam Mostyn, has appointed King Charles the honorary ranks of:

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

The latter honorary appointment is notable given King Charles will conduct a Fleet Review on Sydney Harbour on Tuesday afternoon.

Charles has held the title of Colonel-In-Chief of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps since 1977.

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

Meanwhile, King Charles & Queen Camilla have remained at Admiralty House in the past 45 minutes.

3:10pm: The Australian Defence Force has announced Tuesday’s Fleet Review flypasts will begin at 5:07pm with MH-60R ‘Romeo’ and EC-135 helicopters from the Royal Australian Navy & UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the Australian Army. The Fleet Review will conclude at 5:20pm with an F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler and 2 F-35A Lightning II jets from the Royal Australian Air Force. All aircraft will fly from HMAS Watson naval base on South Head to Admiralty House on Kirribilli Point, all on Sydney Harbour.

A rehearsal of the jet flypasts will also occur at 1:20pm on Monday the 21st of October.

Meanwhile, King Charles & Queen Camilla have remained at Admiralty House so far today.

9:10am: Welcome to Day 2 of our live blog! King Charles & Queen Camilla, through The Royal Family’s X account posted the following, with the 1st sentence referring to the Sydney Opera House projection show:

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

12:05am: The Sydney Opera House projections just concluded. 55 minutes less than we were promised due to the weather and a cruise ship. No doubt the private meeting at Admiralty House between King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Australian Prime Minister & his partner has concluded thus ending the 1st day of the Royal couple’s visits to Sydney. Later today, the Royal couple will have a rest day but the question on many pundits’ lips is will they rest at the horse races? As at 5:35pm is the King Charles III Stakes\at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

If they visit, we will cover it on our live blog though it will be an unofficial event if they do visit. That concludes our live blog for this 1st day of the Royal visits. Until next time!

18th Of October

9:10pm: Here at Dawes Point, spectators and tourists in their hundreds have their cameras pointing to the Sydney Opera House. International media from the United Kingdom and Japan are documenting the historic projection show & interviewing attendees. 2 low-flying helicopters, most likely New South Wales Police, appear above, indicating King Charles & Queen Camilla are nearing Admiralty House with the Australian Prime Minister and his partner. They crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge at this time.

9pm: At the Sydney Opera House, the storms had past & Queen Elizabeth departed, allowing the Sydney Opera House projections to begin! The 4-minute loop, in biographical format, showcased photos 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.

8:45pm: BREAKING NEWS King Charles has 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 was by his side, 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. 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 escort in tow, heading for Admiralty House on the shores of Sydney Harbour for a private meeting with the Australian Prime Minister & a spot of tea.

8:30pm: King Charles III & Queen Camilla have landed at Sydney Airport as the Sydney Opera House Projections have been delayed for unknown reasons. It could be to wait for King Charles to shortly make his 1st steps on Australian soil or more likely due to the storm front or a delayed Cunard cruise ship, ironically, the Queen Elizabeth, that was due to leave the Overseas Passenger Terminal, a known location for the Opera House projectors, at 7pm, over 1.5 hours ago, delayed probably due to the storms.

7:05pm: Welcome to this live blog of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla’s visits to Sydney.

In the last few minutes, their Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 MAX 8 BBJ (‘ASY352’) business jet entered New South Wales airspace over the northwest corner of the state! They are due to touchdown at Sydney Airport at 8pm with the Sydney Opera House projection show of their previous visits to Australia beginning 15 minutes prior.

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

Planning for the Operation has taken place over many months with the NSW Police Force working with partner agencies, including the United Kingdom Royal & Specialist Protection Team, to provide an operational response.

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

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

In Kirribilli, a special event clearway will be operation from 5pm today until Wednesday at the southern end of Carabella Street & the eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue.

Members of the public are also reminded to familiarise themselves with rules relating to operating drones in restricted areas as anyone who breaches no-fly zones will be dealt with appropriately.

The Australian Government has confirmed that the historic review of the Royal Australian Navy fleet on Sydney Harbour by King Charles & Queen Camilla will be held at 4:50pm on Tuesday the 22nd of October.

Their Majesties will leave from Man O’ War Steps on board the Admiral Hudson to review 5 ships of the Royal Australian Navy fleet, a significantly slimmed down fleet review. These ships, anchored in Sydney Harbour, are:

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

HMAS stands for His Majesty’s Australian Ship.

Their Majesties will be accompanied by the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston & the Chief of The Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.

As expected there will be no major pyrotechnic display, which is usually traditional for these events, particularly since the mid-1980’s. A 21-gun salute has not been confirmed yet.

A flypast by Australian Defence Aircraft has been announced to occur during the Monarchical Fleet Review. The fleet review will likely run less than half an hour. Vantage points for the Monarchical Fleet Review are:

• Sydney Opera House
• Royal Botanic Gardens
• Mrs Macquarie’s Point

Their Majesties will also conduct a meet & greet at the Sydney Opera House forecourt, most likely the southern one, at 4:20pm. While gifts are not encouraged, in line with the Buckingham Palace gift policy, non-commercial gifts and flowers may be facilitated for offering to Their Majesties, though they may be subject to a security screening. Their Majesties will be accompanied by the New South Wales (NSW) Premier, Chris Minns & his wife,

There will be road closures in place, particularly from 3:50pm, so check Live Traffic NSW & NSW Police Force websites.

Gates to the Sydney Opera House will open from 3pm & portable toilets will be available. There will be a designated accessible viewing area reserved for people with a disability and/or accessibility needs. To register your interest, e-mail accessibility@premiersdepartment.nsw.gov.au as there are limited spots!

Vantage points for this historic fleet review will quickly go from around 3pm on the day with large crowds expected due to the edition’s historical significance. You may be subjected to a security screening at the event (definitely at the Sydney Opera House) & large bags, banners or umbrellas are not allowed at the event. If rain is forecast, please wear a raincoat or poncho.

Due to the road closures & extremely limited parking, it is recommended to travel to the Monarchical Fleet Review by public transport. You should plan ahead & leave the car at home, if possible.

The fleet review is still the only public event during Their Majesties’ visit in Sydney.

Non-public events include a community barbeque which has been today announced to be hosted by the NSW Premier in Parramatta with support from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW. Invited guests from Western Sydney have been announced today to include community leaders and organisations, volunteers & individuals who have excelled in their field.

It was also announced today that the King will, at some point in Sydney, meet the current Australians Of The Year, Professors Georgina Long AO & Richard Scolyer AO, to hear about their world-leading cancer research and treatment. Simultaneous to this, Queen Camilla will also visit a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop & meet students and other attendees of the workshop series. The Queen will also meet esteemed authors at the workshop.

AO (Officer of the Order of Australia)

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

What Is A ‘Fleet Review’?

A fleet review is essentially an inspection of a navy. The reviewer will be stationed on a ‘flagship’ – the main vessel used to review the fleet. For this fleet review, it will be the Admiral Hudson. Being the flagship does not indicate that it is the most important ship in the Royal Australian Navy fleet. The flagship will travel around Sydney Harbour to inspect the 5 anchored Royal Australian Navy vessels & for their sailors to salute and cheer the Monarch and Queen consort. The journey this fleet review will take will begin at Man O’ Steps & will likely be limited to a journey around Farm Cove. Its ultimate destination is unknown.

Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles & Queen Camilla will conduct a review of the Royal Australian Navy fleet on Sydney Harbour in mid to late October in what is the King’s 1st visit to Sydney as reigning Monarch.

It will be the 1st fleet review since 2013’s iconic International Fleet Review, conducted by Prince Harry. The upcoming fleet review will be the 1st ever conducted by the reigning Monarch or Queen consort on Sydney Harbour. However, it is highly expected there will be no major pyrotechnic display, which is usually traditional for these events, particularly since the mid-1980’s, or any other major naval events for this occasion.

Whilst this fleet review event will be slimmed-down edition with just the main fleet review itself, its historical significance is to be a significant drawcard particularly with the pomp & ceremony associated with fleet reviews & royalty.

Their Majesties are visiting Sydney as part of a trip to the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting in Samoa on the 21st-25th October. They will also visit Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during this trip, which begins on Friday the 18th of October and concludes on Saturday the 26th of October. They will be formally welcomed to Australia in Canberra.

It is unknown which date the fleet review will take place yet, but it is expected to be either Saturday the 19th or 26th of October as previous major fleet reviews usually take place on a Saturday.

1.5 million people attended the International Fleet Review in 2013. However, most of the crowd was mainly there for the Spectacular in the evening as fireworks on Sydney Harbour are more popular than fleet reviews since the turn of the millennium so a smaller crowd – half or less – is expected than in 2013. Nevertheless, whilst queues of people are not expected to turn up overnight, vantage points for this historic fleet review will quickly go from early morning on the day due to the edition’s historical significance.

Fleet reviews begin in the mid-morning and depending on the number of ships could take from 40 minutes to 3.5 hours in duration. Afterwards, the King & Queen will head to western Sydney for a community barbeque to meet the region’s diverse community and to sample New South Wakes produce. At some point, Queen Camilla will also visit a Sydney library hosting a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop. The fleet review is therefore the only public event during Their Majesties’ visit in Sydney.

The short but historic itinerary for Sydney indicates it will be a 1-day visit to Sydney with at least 1 day prior in Canberra for the formal welcoming to Australia.

Today’s announcement has meant Monarchical Welcomes are no longer traditionally celebrated in Sydney for the 1st visit of the reigning monarch. The last and only time this happened was in 1954 when Queen Elizabeth II took her 1st steps on Australian soil at Fleet Steps on Sydney Harbour. Nevertheless, the tradition of the extraordinary Sydney Spectacular of Royal Fleet Reviews is still continuing and gaining more significance.

Fleet reviews are rare occasions – occurring roughly once a decade – so this fleet review may be the most important during the reign of King Charles, particularly as the Monarch has never personally done it on Sydney Harbour before.

It will be the 1st visit by the reigning Monarch to Sydney in 18 years. The last time being in 2006 when Queen Elizabeth II opened the Western Colonnade of the Sydney Opera House.

What Is A ‘Fleet Review’?

A fleet review is essentially an inspection of a navy. The reviewer will be stationed on a ‘flagship’ – the main vessel used to review the fleet. This may or may not be a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship but if it is, it does not indicate that it is the most important ship in the fleet. For example, in 2013, the flagship was an RAN hydrographic surveyor rather than a destroyer or frigate so for the upcoming fleet review, King Charles & Queen Camilla will be stationed on an as yet unknown vessel. Past fleet reviews have seen the flagship moored off Farm Cove. Sailing naval vessels will then parade past the flagship and the sailors on board will salute the Monarch and Queen consort & give 3 cheers. After this has been conducted, the flagship will then travel around Sydney Harbour to inspect any anchored naval vessels and for their sailors to salute & cheer the Monarch and Queen consort. Past fleet reviews usually go along the north shore towards Taronga Zoo & Bradley’s Head before heading south to go around Shark Island before heading west past Clark Island to Garden Island, which is the beginning & end of all flagship journeys during modern fleet reviews as it is Sydney Harbour’s main naval base.

The Royal Australian Navy has 40 ships, 29 commissioned & 11 non-commissioned. They also have about 50 aircraft, mostly helicopters, which could mean an aerial salute is also possible. 21-gun salutes are also likely to salute the Monarch and Queen consort & for signalling purposes.

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