King Charles and Queen Camilla Arrive in Australia For Historic First Tour To Commonwealth Realm

King Charles and Queen Camilla are saying ‘G’day’ to Australia.

They King, 75, and Queen, 77, have arrived in the country for a historic first tour to one of the foreign realms that have Charles as monarch and head of state. Their plane touched down in rainy Sydney, at around 8.30pm local time on Oct. 18.

They were welcomed for their official arrival by Australia’s governor-general Sam Mostyn, the King’s representative in the country, and her husband Simeon Beckett. They were then introduced to the country’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon.

As part of the welcome, Camilla -- who wore a royal blue silk crepe dress by Fiona Clare and the Australian wattle brooch which had been a gift from Australian people to HM Queen Elizabeth -- was presented with a posy by Ky, 12, and his sister Charlotte. Ky got the chance to greet the royals from the Make a Wish Foundation.

Charles was listed in the official court circular as having left London on Oct. 17. Camilla had left separately as she broke the 10,000 mile journey out from the U.K with a private vacation, PEOPLE understands.

After their airport arrival, the couple then headed to Admiralty House in Sydney for a short meeting with Mr. Albanese and his partner.

The couple will spend several days in Australia and then head off to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), as Charles is head of the Commonwealth in his role as monarch.

In Australia, royal watchers will be looking for evidence of a reaction to him being the country's head of state — a position he inherited after the death of his motherQueen Elizabeth on Sept. 8, 2022.

A republican movement has reportedly asked to meet the King during the visit. Charles has reaffirmed the longstanding position of the monarchy, reinforcing that he is relaxed about any change in status and constitution. It is up to the people of any of the states that have him as King to make that decision, his aides have said.

The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) was told in a letter from Charles' assistant private secretary that “whether Australia becomes a republic is a matter for the Australian public to decide.”

It comes amid a poll that shows support for a republic has waned. A Sydney Sunday Telegraph poll, quoted in The Times on Oct. 13, found that those favoring a republic was now at 33%, down from the 39.4% figure at the last referendum on the issue in 1999.

As many -

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as 26% also said they had a more favorable view of Charles since he acceded to the throne in September 2022, and 45% said the country should remain a constitutional monarchy.

Shortly before they arrived, the royals' social media released a short film, complete with a personal message from Charles and Camilla saying they were "really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special."

Over the next three days, the couple will celebrate the best of Australia and visit Parliament House in Canberra for a welcome by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. They will be guests of honor at a reception attended by political and community leaders and prominent Australians from the world of health, arts, culture and sports.

There will also be a stop at the Australian War Memorial and a visit to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, "For Our Country."

One of the key themes of Charles’ public life has been that of sustainability, and he will visit CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, to talk to firefighters about combating the bush fires which devastate millions of hectares of Australian land each year.

One visit that will get ample of attention will come when Charles, who has been receiving treatment for cancer, meets Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer. They are both Australians of the Year having been praised for the work they do to help those affected by melanoma, one of Australia’s most common cancers.

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Meanwhile, Camilla's engagements will reflect her commitment to encouraging reading and literacy and raising awareness of domestic and family violence. At a library in Sydney, she is set to chat with children taking part in a Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition workshop, and while in Canberra, she will join a discussion with people affected by domestic and family violence and experts on the issue.

Charles will become only the second British monarch (and the first British King) to ever visit Australia. In 1954, just two years into her history-making reign, Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to step on Australian soil.

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