King Charles begins Australia tour with church service

(BBC) King Charles and Queen Camilla joined a church congregation in Sydney for a Sunday service on the first day of engagements during their tour of Australia.

It is the King’s first visit to Australia since he became the country’s head of state in September 2022 and is the biggest trip the King has made since starting cancer treatment in February.

Their six-day visit to the Commonwealth country will involve meeting political and community leaders, and also celebrating the nation’s people, culture, and heritage.

They were joined by members of St Thomas’ Anglican Church in northern Sydney for the service, which was officiated by the city’s archbishop, the Most Reverend Kanishka Raffel.

The royal couple met some well-wishers after a crowd of a couple of hundred people – many who had queued since early morning – were allowed into the church precinct to speak to the royal couple after the service.

For most it was a snatched hello and a chance to hand over flowers or take a photo.

Lyn Tarbuck attended with her husband Bob, a republican, and her two King Charles spaniels. She said of the monarchy: “I think it’s joined forces – if we have a problem in Australia they will help us out. We are a very big country but small in population so the more help we get the better.”

Roslyn Durie, who saw the Queen on her 1980 visit to Australia, said she was “so emotional” after receiving “a good firm handshake” from the King.

Sandra Hall and her husband Peter were also there to greet the royal couple. Ms Hall said: “I shook hands with Camilla first and welcomed her to Sydney, then Charles came along. I said ‘look, it’s a beautiful sunny day’ – and he said ‘it’s always sunny in Sydney’.”