Military honours for Charles as he launches his Australian tour

King Charles received military honours from each branch of the Australian Forces on Saturday, a prestigious welcome to kick off his nine-day visit to Australia and Samoa.

Charles can now boast the rank of Marshal of the Australian Army, Marshal of its Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet.

The 75-year-old monarch, diagnosed with cancer eight months ago, is embarking on his most extensive tour since being crowned.

After a journey of more than 20 hours, Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla landed in rainy Sydney late Friday.

They were greeted by local dignitaries and children carrying bouquets before a brief private meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancée.

“We were really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it “so special,” the couple said in a social media post ahead of his arrival.

His trip is aimed at boosting the monarchy’s prestige among a disinterested Australian public.

A projection of images of King Charles III on the Sydney Opera House as members of the royal family arrive for a six-day visit to Sydney and Canberra, October 18, 2024 © AFP – David GRAY

Opportunities to meet the public are planned, with an event outside the Sydney Opera House and a giant barbecue. The tour is less lavish and packed than usual, due to the monarch’s health. A stop in New Zealand has been cancelled, and he will stay in Sydney and Canberra for just six days before attending a Commonwealth summit in Samoa.

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But with the exception of a handful of staunch monarchists and ardent republicans, the Australian public is largely indifferent to Charles’ visit.

– “Just an old white man” –

A recent poll found that about a third of Australians would like to get rid of the monarchy. A third would keep it and a third are mixed.

Support for the monarchy appears to have plummeted since the last royal visit in 2011, when thousands flocked to greet Queen Elizabeth II.

“I think most people see him as a good king,” says Clare Cory, a 62-year-old Sydney lawyer who has mixed feelings about the British monarchy.

“Most of my ancestors came from England, so I think we owe something to that country,” she says, adding that Australia is now looking more to the Asia-Pacific region than somewhere “on the other side of the world.”

Some are more critical, seeing no reason to retain a king whose accent, dress and customs have little in common with the inhabitants of the antipodes.

“He just comes across as an old white guy,” said Maree Parker, a homeschool teacher. “We don't need a king and queen.”

– Beautiful memories –

Objects bearing the image of the royal family, near Cessnock, New South Wales, October 15, 2024 © AFP – DAVID GRAY

Still, Australia holds many happy memories for Charles, and he can be sure to find people there who support him.

As Prince of Wales, he first visited Australia in 1966, aged 17, to study at Timbertop, a remote boarding school in the mountains of the south-eastern state of Victoria.

Recalling that time, Charles said it was “by far the best part” of his education.

And everyone also remembers a now iconic photo: Charles, 30 and still single, shirtless on a beach in Western Australia in 1979, intercepted by an Australian model in a bikini who is dropping him off a kiss on the cheek.

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