King Charles & Queen Camilla - Visit to Australia and Samoa: October 2024

[Sun Lion]

Did you see the lama meeting the King in the crowd Iluvbertie … an animal lama, not a person who is a Buddhist Lama …with his hair all fluffed up, wearing a gold crown, gold bow tie and dinner jacket.

He sneezed on Charles.

This very placid creature visits hospitals and hospices etc. He and his humans got an interview after his Royal encounter.

Charles had to pull out his sunglasses for the walkabout the day is so dazzling. Looks like thousands of people at the War Memorial.

Cannons firing on the lawn at Parliment House.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The coverage is now moving to Parliament House where they will arrive shortly.

It isn't a long drive from the War Memorial to Parliament House and it is possible to see one of the buildings from the other. From the PM's office it is possible to see the War Memorial and that is deliberate - to remind the PM of the possible consequence of a poor PM decision.

They are now pulling up at Parliament House and they will have a formal greeting including a full 21 gun salute. The PM and GG are both there to greet them with their partners.

I will return to watching and report on their next doings shortly.

Did you see the lama meeting the King in the crowd Iluvbertie … an animal lama, not a person who is a Buddhist Lama …with his hair all fluffed up, wearing a gold crown, gold bow tie and dinner jacket.

He sneezed on Charles.

This very placid creature visits hospitals and hospices etc. He and his humans got an interview after his Royal encounter.

Charles had to pull out his sunglasses for the walkabout the day is so dazzling. Looks like thousands of people at the War Memorial.

Cannons firing on the lawn at Parliment House.

Saw that - and the man in the crown with the coat and Charles III Christmas Decoration as a 'medal'. I have one of those decorations but for EII not CIII.

 

[Sun Lion]

Saw that - and the man in the crown with the coat and Charles III Christmas Decoration as a 'medal'. I have one of those decorations but for EII not CIII.

I love there is a place for this silliness in these things, this human touch amongst all the formality.

An interesting comment about the way the lawn goes over the top of Parliament House … so the people of Australia can be above their politicians.

So many people here too.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Now that they are actually inside the Parliament House they are signing the Visitor's Book - not sure about the desk but I wonder whether it has been brought down from a higher level and is the one that Queen Victoria sat at to sign the Act of British parliament that created the Constitution of Australia (looks like it to me to my fading memory of that desk ... but no doubt will be corrected if I am wrong).

They are now moving to the reception that the State Premiers decided to skip.

As for what happened outside - the Federation Guard did Australia proud with the way they greeting the King and Queen. He inspected the Guard and both the Royal Anthem and the Aussie National Anthem were played.

He was also 'introduced' by the GG to a number of dignitaries - many of whom he has met before.

There is a growing crowd waiting outside Parliament House waiting to see them when they do come out.

I love there is a place for this silliness in these things, this human touch amongst all the formality.

An interesting comment about the way the lawn goes over the top of Parliament House … so the people of Australia can be above their politicians.

So many people here too.

Have taken many school groups to Parliament House and they would love to 'roll down' the grass to show their attitude to the politicians (some of the boys suggested something else of course - as you would expect from 14-15 year old boys).

It is a fantastic building and well worth the visit - and if parliament is sitting a chance to see the pollies at work. Due to when it was built there is also an 'education' room for each House where children can be taken and have what is happening explained to them without disturbing parliament as the rooms are sound-proof.

 

[Sun Lion]

Back here in Sydney they are having a rehearsal for tomorrow’s Naval Review … four fighter jets just blasted across the sky in formation.

(Or are they heading down to Canberra?)

Wonderful scenes from the official Reception.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Must be so wonderful to be so close to where they are staying. Sadly living in western Sydney not possible to get there and stand for so many hours (did that in 1970 at Armidale airport, just after having had my appendix out and had the pleasure of meeting the Queen and again in 1983 to see Charles and Diana and again in 1988 to see The Queen and Philip and of course a number of times in the UK- 2005, just days after the bombing, 2008, 2015, 2016 and again in 2018)

Great speeches by both the PM, the Opposition Leader and the King.

Loved Mr Dutton's comment - that the suits had been cleaned, shirts ironed and something about ties - and that 'was just by the republicans'. He was very much praising the British heritage of Australia.

The PM was more on the King's lengthy association with us and the Commonwealth.

The King commented on his school days, and the various disasters that we have experienced and how we have come together at those times. He also said it was climate change that caused these.

Sadly a protester (a Senator who I won't name) got close enough to attempt to disrupt the proceedings but she was quickly removed.

Charles is having a lovely time meeting a number and range of Aussies from across the nation representing the best of this great country.

 

[Sun Lion]

Great speeches by both the PM, the Opposition Leader and the King.

Sadly a protester (a Senator who I won't name) got close enough to attempt to disrupt the proceedings but she was quickly removed.

A lot of Charles' speech was on modern issues - climate change in particular.

So many people at that Reception Iluvbertie, what a gathering.

The crowds are being reported as still building outside.

Things are a quite a bit behind schedule due to the lengthy public interaction at the War Memorial.

 

[Iluvbertie]

It was a lovely reception and I don't think the State Premiers were missed.

Now he is greeting a lot of school kids who are inside parliament house so I suspect local schools were asked to send representatives (not something unusual - in 1970 when I meet the Queen at Armidale airport all the school captains and vice-captains in all the local schools for around 200 miles were invited to the garden party and were formally presented to the Queen).

They will be moving outside shortly to greet the public and then to Yarralumla (the press are calling it Government House but it is formally called Yarralumla and is the Canberra home of the GG. If they stayed overnight in Canberra this is where they would stay) for some events there with formal audiences by The King with the PM and Leader of the Opposition and Camilla having some time with domestic violence charities in Canberra.

 

[Sun Lion]

Video of the moment the King met Hephner during the walkabout this morning at the War Memorial.

It has now been clarified that this good-looking fellow is not a lama, but is actually an alpaca.

 

[Asteria12]

Have taken many school groups to Parliament House and they would love to 'roll down' the grass to show their attitude to the politicians (some of the boys suggested something else of course - as you would expect from 14-15 year old boys).

It is a fantastic building and well worth the visit - and if parliament is sitting a chance to see the pollies at work. Due to when it was built there is also an 'education' room for each House where children can be taken and have what is happening explained to them without disturbing parliament as the rooms are sound-proof.

This has become something of a widespread tradition nowadays as so many senior schools right across Australia orgnise a trip down to Canberra, and funnily enough the kids ALL do the same thing and try rolling down the grass!!