King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off their Australian tour with a church visit in Sydney. The royal couple showed up at St Thomas Anglican Church in North Sydney on a sunny Sunday morning‚ marking their first public appearance since arriving in the country
Kids waving Australian flags were there to welcome the royals‚ shaking hands and cheering as they walked into the church. Inside‚ people couldnt help but pull out their phones to snap pics of the special guests. The service was mostly for the local congregation‚ with just a few VIPs like the Governor-General and New South Wales Governor allowed in
After the service‚ hundreds of excited people waited outside hoping to catch a glimpse of Charles and Camilla. But not everyone was thrilled - a small group of protesters stood nearby with a banner that said “Empire Built on Genocide“
This trip is a big deal because its the first time a reigning British monarch has visited Australia in over a decade. Queen Elizabeth II made her last trip here back in 2011. For Charles‚ its his 17th time Down Under‚ but his first as king
The royal schedule has been cut back a bit because of Charles health issues (hes getting treatment for cancer). They took a day off on Saturday to rest at Admiralty House‚ the Governor-Generals fancy pad in Sydney
Next up‚ the couple is heading to Canberra for a reception on Monday. Interestingly‚ none of Australias state leaders are planning to show up - theyre all republicans whoʼd rather see an Aussie as head of state instead of the British monarch
After wrapping up in Australia‚ Charles is off to Samoa on Wednesday to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Its a busy week for the royals as they strengthen ties with the Commonwealth nations