King Charles 'proud' to follow in footsteps of his late mother by touring Australia, as royal visit continues in Canberra

King Charles says he is “proud to follow in the footsteps” of his late mother Queen Elizabeth in touring Australia, as he shared cherished memories of his first trip Down Under almost 60 years ago while addressing Parliament House.

King Charles has declared he is “proud to follow in the footsteps” of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II by touring Australia, as he delivered a heartfelt address at Parliament House.

The King and Queen Camilla touched down in Canberra just before midday on Monday to continue their whirlwind five-day tour Down Under.

Their Majesties first visited the Australian War Memorial where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier in the Hall of Memory.

The royal couple also met with members of the public as they visited the For Our Country memorial, which commemorates the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were then welcomed by the Prime Minister at Parliament House before the royal couple embarked on separate engagements during the afternoon.

Here are all the highlights from the King and Queen’s visit to Canberra:

Their Majesties’ Australian tour marks King Charles’ first trip Down Under as monarch. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Serena Williams warmly embraces Charles upon his arrival in Canberra. Picture: Saeed KHAN / POOL / AFP

King Charles and Queen Camilla continue their five-day royal tour in Canberra on Monday. Picture: Saeed KHAN / POOL / AFP

King Charles shares cherished memories of first visit to Australia almost 60 years ago

The King used his address at the parliamentary reception to reflect on his first trip to Australia, sharing memories he cherishes from his studies Down Under almost 60 years ago.

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal tour this week marks the first official visit by a reigning monarch to Australia since Queen Elizabeth II in 2011.

Charles told the crowd he was “proud to follow in the footsteps” of his late mother who he said “spoke of the warmth she received from her first visit in 1954”.

The King recalled when he first came to Australia in 1966 as a teenager to study at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop school in Victoria.

“I had thought that the school I was attending in Scotland was remote and testing enough, but nothing had quite prepared me for the realities of the bush country around Mount Buller,” he joked.

“All I can say is that I arrived as an adolescent and left as a more rounded, if not even somewhat chiselled character once I had contended with brown snakes, leeches, funnel-web spiders, and bull ants.

“Bearing in mind, this was very nearly 60 years ago, being given certain unmentionable parts of a bull calf to eat from a branding farm in outback Queensland.”

King Charles says he is “proud” to follow in the footsteps of his mother Queen Elizabeth by visiting Australia this year. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

King Charles walks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese around Parliament House after addressing a reception. Picture: David GRAY / POOL / AFP
Charles said it was those memories which formed his bond with Australia from a young age.

“Every time I returned to the sunburnt country, I am always moved by the hauntingly evocative cries of the kookaburras, the screeching of the galah and the warbling of the magpie,” he continued.

The King also highlighted the change he had seen in Australia over the last six decades, particularly with cultural diversity.

“It is worth reflecting that Australia’s unique character has endured and also evolved, and that Australia has become a stronger nation as a result of becoming one of the most multicultural on earth,” he said.

King Charles uses his speech at Parliament House to reflect on his first visit to Australia almost 60 years ago. Picture: LUKAS COCH / POOL / AFP

King Charles acknowledged Indigenous Australians and the traditional owners of the land in Canberra, the Ngunnawal people.

“How deeply I appreciated this morning’s moving Welcome to Country ceremony which offers me the opportunity to pay my respects to the traditional owners of the land of which we meet, the Ngunnawal people, and all First Nations people who have loved and cared for his continent for 65,000 years,” Charles said.

“In my many visits to Australia, I have witnessed the courage and hope that have guided the nation’s long and sometimes difficult journey towards reconciliation.

“Throughout my life, Australia’s First Nations peoples have done me the great honour of sharing so generously their stories and cultures.

“I can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom.”

skynews.com.au01:05

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